On the verge of 90 years old, golf legend Gary Player isn’t slowing down. He’s still traveling the world, playing golf and promoting the game and his businesses. The nine-time major champion hasn’t stopped sharing his unvarnished opinions about the game, either. The latest example concerns a tournament he’s never played: the Ryder Cup.
In a new interview with the Palm Beach Post, Player joined a chorus of critics by lambasting the Ryder Cup for the chaos that went down at Bethpage Black last month. But his focus wasn’t only on the rowdy fans. He saved some harsh critiques for the players as well.
Here’s what you need to know.
Gary Player: ‘The Ryder Cup is a shambles’
Player was a star during one of the golden eras of pro golf, locking horns with fellow legends Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and more in golf’s biggest tournaments.
Except for one.
Hailing from South Africa, Player was forced to watch every two years as his pro golf contemporaries from the U.S. and Europe battled in the Ryder Cup.
But Player doesn’t have a problem with the Ryder Cup as a whole. He has a problem with what the Ryder Cup has become, as epitomized at Bethpage in September, where many fans hurled invectives at European players, and some players yelled obscenities right back.
According to the Palm Beach Post, Player watched the 2025 event in a “state of shock,” and came away from it feeling “disgusted” and believing the Ryder Cup is “a shambles.”
“What would Ben Hogan have said, you know? What would Byron Nelson have said? What would Arnold Palmer… If Arnold Palmer saw that today,” Player opined, imagining Ryder Cup legends of the past turning in their graves.
“>
Player blasts Ryder Cup players for bad behavior
But it wasn’t just the misbehaving fans and the general hostile atmosphere that bothered Player, it was the players’ responses as well, as he revealed to the Palm Beach Post.
“Golf has never been that,” Player said. “Golf has been a gentleman’s sport. So, and to see that, and to see the players using this ‘F’ word, I mean, the whole lot.”
Amid the most chaotic moments of this year’s Ryder Cup, Rory McIlroy responded to repeated insults by shouting “F— you” to spectators at Bethpage Black.
After 3 days of Ryder Cup hell, Rory McIlroy’s emotions poured out
Player’s thoughts were summed up best by one quote in particular: “The Ryder Cup to me is the worst event in the world.”
There were other targets of his ire, too.
Player lashed out at comedian Heather McMahan, who was hired to warm up the crowd on the 1st tee. McMahan attempted to lead harmless chants, but the crowd responded with a “F— you, Rory” chant of their own. She joined in and later resigned amid a firestorm.
PGA of America president Don Rea Jr., who initially dismissed spectators’ treatment of European players, also took a shot from Player.
“And to see [the PGA of America] hire a lady to stand on the tee — if you want to call her a lady — and saying ‘F you Rory. F this European team.’ Are we crazy?” Player said. “And then the head of the [PGA of America] says, what was so serious about it?”
You can read all of Player’s comments with the Palm Beach Post here.
