You would think having a Hall of Famer for a granddad is cool. You know free golf tips from a guy who did it, hobnobbing with the who’s who of the game, and a spot at the PNC Championship even. It is that way for most, say someone like Jack Nicklaus’s grandson, GT. But if your granddad is Gary Player? It can be nerve-wracking. 

Don’t get me wrong. Player doesn’t make them do 1000 squats. But it’s just his clan includes six children and 22 grandchildren, most of who are in some way associated with golf. So, picking one for the PNC and snubbing others puts the nine-time major winner in a spot. And you can’t really think of rotating when you are months shy of 90. Solution? How about a qualifier?

Gary Player hosts an 18-hole match before the PNC Championship to decide his playing mate at the annual family event. This time the stroke play event happened at the Bear’s Club in Florida. Four of his grandkids were there to vie for one spot. Eventually, Alex Hall outclassed his cousins by a whopping seven strokes. 

That’s certainly quite a way to determine your playing mate. Gary Player wants the best among his grandkids to be with him. But what do fans think of his selection process? The fan sentiment on Instagram was quite diverse.

Not everyone found this Gary Player move funny

Fans think it would be a fun watch, as they expect witty banter among the cousins. “Put it on TV. I’d watch it with Gary as the on course commentator.” one user joked. Alex Hall told Golf.com that this tournament is ‘the most nervous’ he has ever been. That’s saying something when you have competed in State Championships as a high schooler.

It is no less thrilling than a Monday Qualifier it seems. At least for those who are invested in it. Amanda-Leigh Hall, Alex’s mother commented, “A nail-biter to watch when it’s your son!!” Notably, Alex Hall also shared the post on his story. 

Before Alex, Player has also teed off with his son, Wayne. Fans dragged him into the conversation as well. Wayne was handed a lifetime ban from Augusta National after he tried to market a new set of golf balls while the ANGC was honoring Lee Elder. 

Notably, Gary Player is also embroiled in a legal dispute with his other son, Marc, and grandson, Damien. Noting the family fiasco, one user commented, “When your son is banned from Augusta and probably the PNC too.” Whereas, another quipped, “I know one grandson that’s not invited.”

Because of his recurring legal disputes with family members, Player has received backlash from fans. One person wrote, “His legacy would have been much better if he had been more graceful rather than always a cash grab.” Back in 2020, Player won the lawsuit against his son, Marc, and received $5M. The nine-time major winner alleged that his son Marc, who ran the Gary Player Group, sold his trophies in an auction breaching the contract. 

Seems it’s tough to be Gary Player and keep everyone happy. Team Player finished at the penultimate spot in the leaderboard 18 strokes short of Bernhard and Jason Langer.