Gary Player’s most recent honor wasn’t a big tournament purse and it wasn’t earned by simply swinging a club. Player was named the 2006 recipient of the prestigious Payne Stewart Award, an honor created by the PGA TOUR Policy Board to perpetuate Stewart’s memory. It is presented annually to a player sharing Stewart’s respect for the traditions of the game, his commitment to uphold the game’s heritage of charitable support and his professional and meticulous presentation of himself and the sport through his dress and conduct.

While Player’s accomplishments on the course are more than impressive – 163 titles worldwide, 9 major championships on the Regular Tour and 9 on the Champions Tour, Grand Slam winner and Hall of Fame member – his accomplishments off the course are equally notable. Perhaps one of the most significant is The Player Foundation, which built the Blair Atholl Schools in Johannesburg, South Africa and has educational facilities for more than 500 students from kindergarten through the seventh grade and also supports other educational projects in America, Europe and Asia.

“Gary Player represents everything this award stands for,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem. “The PGA TOUR’s core values of honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect for the game, growing the game, making a positive contribution to charity and helping each other achieve our highest potential, are all values that could certainly be used to describe Gary Player.The most traveled athlete in all of sports, Gary’s love of the game and thirst for life spread to everyone around him.”

The Payne Stewart Award has previously decorated the mantles of Byron Nelson, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Ben Crenshaw, Nick Price, Tom Watson, Jay Haas and Brad Faxon. The Award is accompanied by an annual Payne Stewart Award Grant of $300,000 to be distributed to The Stewart Family Foundation; The Payne Stewart Memorial/The First Tee of The Ozarks facility in Missouri, and The Player Foundation for underprivileged children’s education.