Gary Player
The 74-year-old South African is best known for his remarkable golf career. He is the winner of nine major championships and 165 tournaments worldwide. But today his fitness regimen is almost just as well documented and admired as his feats on the course. The World's Most Traveled Athlete (he had the phrase trademarked) was initially considered an obsessive health nut when he started his insane workout routine in the 1950s. Back then, he began weightlifting when other golfers were saying it would ruin his game. He ate fruit and honey while others gorged themselves or smoked cigarettes on the course. He did 1,000 sit-ups a day, often with a 70-lb. weight on his chest. But his regimen paid off. Player's longevity in the game is legendary. He played in 52 Masters tournaments, competing in his last tournament in 2009. At 59, he made the cut at the 1995 British Open and at 62 he made the 1998 Masters cut. With the emergence of Tiger Woods and his own dedication to fitness in the 1990s, the sort of routine Player developed 50 years ago is now much more commonplace on the PGA Tour today.