Don’t think of calling him geriatric; odds are that unless you also do 1,000 crunches five times a week, many of them with 80 lb. weights on your chest, the South African golf champion Gary Player can kick your puny ass off the green.

In his recent interview with Reuters, Player attests that fitness is the key to the best golf game possible, apparently over the new high tech balls and clubs, even over technique. He credits Tiger Woods as being possibly the best golfer of all time, over Jack Nicklaus, because Woods is also in particularly good shape.

…I said, ‘Good luck, Tiger’, said Player, indicating he tapped Tiger’s arm. “It was like putting your arm on Tarzan.

Player will be in Augusta, GA on Thursday to participate in the famed Masters Tournament at Augusta National. It’s his 50th time in that competition, tying the legendary Arnold Palmer.

Player advocates fitness as golf milestone approaches [africa.reuters.com]