Son Of Golf Legend Slapped With Lifetime Masters Ban Over 'Disgraceful' Stunt
"Well, they say there’s no such thing as bad publicity. I found out that that’s not quite true."
The son of golf legend Gary Player has been given a lifetime ban from the Masters as a result of a "disgraceful" stunt he pulled during last year's tournament.
Wayne Player made headlines around the world back in 2021 when his actions during a historic ceremony at Augusta sparked heavy backlash from eagle-eyed fans watching from home.
During the honouring of Lee Elder, who was the first black man to ever to compete in the Augusta National major, viewers noticed Wayne hovering over Elder's shoulder while holding a branded sleeve of OnCore golf balls.
Wayne strategically placed himself within camera shot on the broadcast too, meaning the millions of fans watching from home could see.
The publicity stunt didn't go down well with people calling it "disgraceful", "crass" and "shameful" with some even calling for him to be barred from attending ever again.
Well, it seems Masters officials heard those cries and have acted accordingly, slapping the 58-year-old with a lifetime ban at Augusta.
"Well, they say there's no such thing as bad publicity. I found out that that's not quite true," Wayne told Golf Digest in response to the decision.
"I had probably 50 texts after that, 40 of them said I'm a marketing genius, 10 were like, 'What the hell were you thinking?'
"It wasn't premeditated, but it was a tacky thing."
Wayne did reveal that he did try to appeal his ban, but was unsuccessful.
"It said thanks but no thanks," he added.
"It said, you know, we appreciate you reaching out and apologising, we accept your apology, but we are not changing our position, we are not going to allow you back. You ruined a special moment in the history of the game of golf."
OnCore, the company which Wayne desperately tried to promote, were quick to have their say on the matter too.
CEO Keith Blakely said: "We did not ask or instruct Mr. Player to have our ball sleeve visible during the ceremony and are sorry if his actions caused any offence or was a distraction from the wonderful recognition being paid to Mr. Elder."
Featured Image Credit: Alamy/Twitter/PGATopics: Golf news, Golf, Masters, Wayne Player, Australia, Augusta
Max Sherry