“They’ve taken $75 Million. They've put it up there for 36 guys”: PGA legend Gary Player on dark fact about the PGA Tour, blaming it for LIV fiasco

Gary Player is regarded as one of the greats in the game and was present at this week's Nedbank Golf Challenge. At the DP World Tour event, the 89-year-old spoke about the ongoing tussle between the PGA Tour and the LIV Golf league.

Elliot Bradley posted a video of Player having his say about the current situation of professional golf. He stated that the game has not been progressing in the way that he had hoped and and talked about the financial struggles of the American Tour.

He said (via X @NUCLRGolf):

"How are they gonna look after people like myself and Arnold [Palmer], who's gone, and Jack [Nicklaus] and people like that. They've come up with a system which they've taken and it's bad. They've taken $75 million. They've put it there for 36 guys."

Player expressed disappointment in the PGA Tour for failing to prioritize its golfers' needs and implied that the environment pushed players toward LIV Golf. Earlier this year, the PGA Tour's Commissioner Jay Monahan announced the launch of a new equity program to reward its members.

With the initial $930 million investment, the money will be split into four groups. Player, and Jack Nicklaus fall under the fourth category reserved for 36 players who are considered instrumental in building the PGA Tour.

Player claimed that while the equity fund is uncertain, he would receive his first payout at the age of 91.

"It might not do well and you might not get anything. The first payment we're gonna get is when I'm 91. Will I be alive? I hope so. Jack Nicklaus, I don't know whether he will be. The second payment is when you're 98," Gary Player said.

The 24-time PGA Tour winner also commented on the Tour's disregard for older legends. Player took the example of Larry Nelson who bears three major titles to his name and has captained in the Ryder Cup. He feels that these golfers are being "discarded."

Here's a look into Player's comments at the DP World Tour event:

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Exploring Gary Player's major victories

Gary Player made 150 appearances in major tournaments throughout his illustrious career. Out of 102 cuts made, he recorded 44 top-10 finishes, 23 top-five finishes, six runner-up finishes, and nine victories.

The 89-year-old won the Masters and The Open Championship three times, the PGA Championship twice, and the US Open one time in 1965. Here's a look into the South African's nine wins:

• 1959 Open Championship [4-under par (75-71-70-68)]
• 1961 Masters Tournament [8-under par (69-68-69-74)]
• 1962 PGA Championship [2-under par (72-67-69-70)]
• 1965 US Open [2-over par (70-70-71-71)]
• 1968 Open Championship [1-over par (74-71-71-73)]
• 1972 PGA Championship [1-over par (71-71-67-72)]
• 1974 Masters Tournament [10-under par (71-71-66-70)]
• 1974 Open Championship [2-under par (69-68-75-70)]
• 1978 Masters Tournament [11-under par (72-72-69-64)]

When Gary Player won the 1965 US Open, he became the first player of non-American origin to achieve a career Grand Slam by winning all four of golf's major championships. He was also the youngest player to achieve the record at the time.

He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974 and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2021. With over seven decades of golfing, Gary Player is now enjoying a much-deserved retirement.