Arnold Palmer is one of the greatest golfers to ever have graced the game.

It’s fair to say that Palmer is actually one of the two most important figures in the professional game over the past 70 years, alongside Tiger Woods.

He didn’t win as many majors as some of his contemporaries, with just seven to his name, but he did completely transform the sport.

Arnold Palmer made golf popular to the masses with his working class background, his enthralling personality and exciting playing style.

Will Bryson DeChambeau be making a mistake if he rejoins LIV?

Bryson may have an extra incentive to sign up for LIV 2.0…

It’s no coincidence that ‘The King’ amassed the second highest net worth of golfers before his passing in 2016 (believed to be $700 million), behind only Tiger Woods.

Meanwhile, Gary Player has done extremely well for himself as well, with a net worth believed to be around $250 million.

More importantly, the South African won 159 professional tournaments worldwide, including nine major championships.

What stopped Arnold Palmer from winning more majors according to Gary Player

While speaking to Golf Digest earlier this year, Player highlighted the reason why he believes Palmer failed to win more than seven major championships.

“This is why he was so great driver of the ball. Sensational 1-iron player. Terrible bunker player, because of his shut face,“ the nine-time major champion explained.

“If I could have played bunker shots for him, he would have won 15 more times, and he would have won the Grand Slam. He stayed with the ball. It’s the opposite of sucking your hands across the ball. The path starts down on the inside, and you hit the inside of the ball and stay on the line.

“I’ll tell you, watch a guy like Moe Norman, nobody could hit the ball better. Stay on the line. He stayed over the ball, and the club is right on line with an extended right arm.“

Gary Player has often criticized coaches for teaching golfers to get to the top of the swing with a closed club-face.

In fact, the South African suggested that Jordan Spieth would be the best golfer in the world if he was taught by Ben Hogan.

Gary Player’s claim about Jordan Spieth

Back in 2025, Player highlighted how modern golf instructors are actually causing their players big problems.

“There is a tremendous lack of knowledge with golf,“ Player claimed.

“I would say in America today the golf pros that are teaching know less about golf. They have all the equipment and the technology but they are teaching golfers to do this at the top (shut club-face). But you can’t once you do that you are gone. Jack Nicklaus won majors for 25 years, I won majors for 20 years, Palmer won for six years because he was shut.

“Look at Dustin Johnson. You haven’t heard of him. When was the last time you heard of Dustin Johnson? The minute you go like this, your golf career is limited. You have got to get the club and your hands under the club.

“What they are doing, they did it with Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler. Now those two guys. Jordan Spieth I think is the best golfer in the world but in my opinion he was taught the wrong thing. And he just went downhill. He went downhill. If you had a man like Ben Hogan teaching Jordan Spieth he would be the best in the world. He’s such a competitor, such a wonderful man. A wonderful guy for golf, the best short game, best course management but he just can’t hit the ball. That is a tragedy.“