“Age is just a number”might be a phrase often tossed around, but Gary Player seems to live it with every heartbeat. At 90, the South African golf legend has found love again, and he’s not shy about sharing it.
The nine-time major champion lost his wife, Vivienne, to pancreatic cancer in 2021. Then, Player spent four years in what he called “the desert.” But in 2024, at age 89, he met Susan Waterfall, and life hasn’t been the same for the golfing legend.
“I had the most incredible wife a man could have. She died 4 1/2 years ago,” Player told Golfweek. “For four years, I was in the desert and then I met this chick. I said to her (Susan Waterfall) straightaway, I don’t have time for romance at 90. I said, I’m looking for an American girlfriend. She said I’ll think about it — and that’s how it started.”
Susan, 84, is a New York native who shares Player’s passions for golf, fitness, travel and laughter. He affectionately calls her “Susan Tsunami,” a nickname that hints at her energy and zest for life.
“She loves golf, she loves gymnasium, she loves to travel and she laughs all day long,” Player shared with Golfweek. “She watches what she eats, she doesn’t smoke, she keeps in shape and we want to go to a lot of places in the world together.”
Their whirlwind romance has become a source of joy and humor for Player, who recently recounted a moment at a ladies’ luncheon.
“I went to a ladies’ luncheon the other day, 100 ladies, and afterwards they said ‘Do you mind if we ask you a few questions?’ I said, ‘Anything you like,’” Player said as quoted. “The first lady said, ‘You’re 90, do you hold her hand?’ I said all the time. The next lady said, ‘Do you kiss her?’ I said, ‘Ma’am, I kiss her all the time.’ I said ”Before you ladies become too familiar, I want you to know she’s pregnant!'”
The comment delivered with Player’s signature wit captured the spirit of a man who refuses to slow down. The 90-year-old pro’s openness about love, grief, and healing journey has resonated with fans.
“It’s incredible you can find a woman like that at 90. It’s an act of God,” he confessed during the same conversation. “The only trouble I have now is when my wife dies and (my girlfriend) dies, my wife may be on the north side of heaven and she may be on the south side.”
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