Masters champion’s son banned for life after | Sports News

Honorary starter Gary Player will as soon as again take part within the ceremonial opening tee shot on the Masters match on Thursday, however he’ll accomplish that with out his son, Wayne. An incident on the 2021 version of the occasion led to his son receiving a lifetime ban from Augusta National.

Three-time Masters winner Player, who has captured 9 main championships in complete, has been a staple of the honorary starters custom since 2012, teeing off alongside icons similar to Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Tom Watson to formally start the match.

However, the 2021 ceremony positioned Player on the heart of controversy, due to his son Wayne, who was serving as his caddie. That yr, Augusta National was honoring Lee Elder, the pioneering African-American golfer who turned the primary of his race to compete in The Masters back in 1975.

Yet the second was marred as Elder stepped onto the tee box, when Wayne, now 61, pulled a blatant advertising stunt. He positioned himself behind Elder – who tragically died later that yr – during his introduction, overtly displaying a box of OnCore golf balls, a model that sponsored Player.

Observant followers had been fast to call out Wayne’s actions, and Augusta National wasted no time in responding, revoking his match credentials and issuing a everlasting ban from the course.

Augusta National declined to publicly tackle the incident or the following motion taken towards Player’s son. Wayne mentioned the incident in a 2022 interview with Golf Digest, stating: “Well, they say there’s no such thing as bad publicity. I found out that that’s not quite true.

“I had in all probability 50 texts after that, 40 of them mentioned I’m a advertising genius, 10 had been like, ‘What the hell had been you pondering?’ It wasn’t premeditated, however it was a cheesy factor.

“I don’t mind letting people know. To be completely transparent, I think it is a cool story because, you know, the National never really came out formally and said, ‘Oh, we’re not allowing Wayne Player to come back to the Masters.’

“They by no means ever mentioned that to the media. That’s simply the way in which they do it. They do not say a lot.”

Despite writing a letter of apology after the incident, Wayne was unsuccessful in having the ban overturned. “It mentioned thanks however no thanks,” Player remembered of the club’s response.

“It mentioned, you realize, we recognize you reaching out and apologizing, we settle for your apology, however we aren’t altering our place, we aren’t going to permit you back. You ruined a particular second within the historical past of the sport of golf.”