Legendary golfer Gary Player was “thrilled” with his trip to Kent over the weekend as he headlined this year’s Golf Live.

The 76 year old South African rolled back the years as he gave the fifteen thousand fans at The London Golf Club near Brands Hatch a real treat by showing all his skills that bagged him nine major wins throughout a glittering career.

Set over three days, Golf Live brought fans closer than ever to the stars of golf with the likes of Player and Colin Montgomerie joined by Kent golfer Benn Barham and celebrity DJ Chris Evans amongst others.

With the latest golfing equipment available to try and buy, fans could test out all the cutting edge equipment from all the leading manufacturers whilst watching some great exhibitions.

It was Gary Player that stole the show though as he rolled back the years to bag himself a hole in one in the closest the pin challenge and the South African admitted it was one of the best weekend’s of his life:

“I’ve had such a great time here in Kent at a fabulous golf course with some tremendous people putting on what has to be the greatest exhibition I have ever been to.”

“It’s so nice to be able to meet so many other fans of the game in one place as you wouldn’t normally have the chance to rub shoulders with golfers at major tournaments.”

“The golf course here has been spectacular and I can’t think of a better concept around than Golf Live. It’s been a really great time and getting the hole in one was a bit of luck to be honest.”

“I think I got about 27 or 28 throughout my career, so to get one here was nice, but it’s all about luck sometimes. My wife got two in one round once, so it just goes to show you have to have luck on your side.”

In his day, Player had to be regarded as one of the greats and will be remembered long in the future as having won his nine majors between 1959 and 1978, winning a staggering 165 tournaments throughout a career that spanned over six decades.

A winner of The Open in three different decades, Player loves playing in Britain and told KSN how he had been so glad that he took up the invitation to come to Kent:

“I’ve flown in from the US to be here and will be back to South Africa before the weekend. I’ve always loved coming to the UK, but this has been a really nice few days for me.”

“I will take away this experience and tell people within the game about the great concept that is Golf Live. I’ve been very impressed with everything about the weekend and the setting has a lot to do with that.”

Renowned as a fitness fanatic, Player was pounding the gym with Joe Miller, one of the fiercest strikers of a golf ball ever for an hour on Friday evening.

It’s this determination to stay in shape that has seen Player still able to keep up with all the appearances he makes throughout the world and he told KSN how he was keen for kids to participate in sport:

“I’ve travelled probably as many miles as any other human being (estimated to be over 15 million air miles) and for me I’m keen to see kids get out there an do something. It’s all about diet too with mums needing to make sure the kids eat all the right stuff.”

“They’ve got to make sure they keep away from white bread, avoid all those fatty fast foods and eat healthily. It’s as important as putting in the practice for me.”

Player, or The Black Knight as he’s known to his fans, was part of the team that took part in the British record of playing eighteen holes of golf in less than eleven minutes and the South African believes innovations like that are the kind of thing that brings in the crowds to events such as Golf Live:

“We’ve got to make sure golf is more accessible to the masses and if it means that we do more events like this throughout the world, then that would be the best for the game.”

“More and more people struggle to find the time to play eighteen holes, so maybe golf courses need to look at letting people maybe play nine or twelve holes.”

“Whatever we can do to encourage youngsters into the game has to be a good thing for me.”