Cooking For A Legend

Cooking For A Legend

The 87th Masters Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Course is just around the corner, and excitement is building. Last year I was chosen to serve four days as personal chef for golfing legend Gary Player and his party. I have been asked to return in this position again this year. As tee time approaches, I would like to share my experience from last year.

Gary Player was selected to participate alongside Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson in the Honorary Starters Ceremony, teeing off to begin the 86th edition of the Masters Tournament, at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.

Over the four days I prepared made to order, family style, formal style breakfasts and dinners as well as a large outdoor BBQ reception.

Mr. Player and his party of fellow golfers and international business partners were all very complimentary of my menu selections and cooking. Several dishes were new to them, resulting in requests for my recipes. One morning after breakfast I was asked by several of Mr. Player’s guest to give a lesson in making omelet as they thought they were the best they had ever had. Mr. Player had several compliments for me including that the baked beans I prepared for the cookout were the best beans he had ever eaten. I believe he had second and thirds. Upon leaving, Mr. Player signed a plate say, “chef you are the best!”

I find high profile catering jobs such as are exhausting but very rewarding.

Mr. Player is widely considered to be one of the greatest golfers of all time. During his career, Player won nine major championships on the regular tour and nine major championships on the Champions Tour.

At the age of 29, Player won the 1965 U.S. Open and became the only non-American to win all four majors in a career, known as the career Grand Slam.

Player became only the third golfer in history to win the Career Grand Slam, following Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen, and only Nicklaus and Woods have performed the feat since. He won over 150 professional tournaments on six continents over seven decades and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974.

Nicknamed the Black Knight, Mr. Fitness, and the International Ambassador of Golf, through the Player Design firm, he is also a renowned golf course architect with more than 400 design projects on five continents throughout the world.

He has also authored or co-written 36 books on golf instruction, design, philosophy, motivation and fitness.

The Player Group operates The Player Foundation, which has a primary objective of promoting underprivileged education around the world. In 1983, The Player Foundation established the Blair Atholl Schools in Johannesburg, South Africa, which has educational facilities for more than 500 students from kindergarten through eighth grade. In 2013 it celebrated its 30th anniversary with charity golf events in London, Palm Beach, Shanghai and Cape Town, bringing its total of funds raised to over $60 million.

In January 2021, Player was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by United States.

I have to give HUGE THANKS to my sister, Susan Everitt, for being my right hand. So much credit for the success of this gig has to be given to her. Our days began at 5am and did not end until 10 or 11pm. I could not have made it through this weekend without her.