Which golfer said "the more I practice the luckier I get"?

Question

I always thought it was Arnold Palmer but Gary Player has a book with that title and now I've just seen a website that claims it was Lee Travino.

Any ideas?

Answer 1

Gary Player said it originally but its such a good phrase it has been repeated so many times, and you are right in that many people think it was Arnold palmer.

The saying is kind of now associated with golf in general.

Answer 2

It was actually Samuel Goldwyn who said, "the harder I work, the luckier I get". You hear it now repeated by people from all fields (I heard it said by 'Harold' from Neighbours on The Wright Stuff last week) who espouse the importance of hard work.

Answer 3

My golf mate Alec.

Answer 4

Defunetely Gary Player a great player who was incredibly fit and worked enormously hard. He could hold an iron out between his first and second fingers. I had the pleasure of meeting him at Mont St Angel GC Monaco on the 12th September 2001. Unfortunately the tournament being played that week was called off because of the events in NY the previous day

Answer 5

I always understood it to have come from Gary Player.

Answer 6

From what I recall, it was evidently said by Gary Player to an observer watching him playing bunker shots, when one went in the hole, the observer said "that was lucky, wasn't it" to which Player replied "the more I practice the luckier I get"

Answer 7

All of you must be to young to remember. It was Jerry Barber who won the 1961 PGA Golf Tournament.

A person told him, that  he was the luckiest putter in the world. Jerry's answer was "yes and the more I practices the luckier I get"

Answer 8

I recall hearing Tom Watson say it first. I don't think he's plagaristic.

Answer 9

I wasn't golfing yet at the time I heard it from my neighbor. Maybe around 1991.

Answer 10

I am sure I heard it said by "Tex Mex " Lee Trevino many years ago.

They probably all have said it. But who said it first?

Answer 11

at my club theres a guy who got hit by lightning three times so he reckons he's lucky

Answer 12

Lee Trevino

Answer 13

I think it was Gary Player , thats what I have always read .

Answer 14

Gary Player