The key to a long life? ‘Undereating’ and ice baths, says 88-year-old Gary Player, still spritely at 88th Masters

He’s as old as one of sport’s longest-running tournaments, but Gary Player boomed a tee drive that many a quarter of his age would be content with to raise the curtain on the 88th Masters.

He’s as old as one of sport’s longest-running tournaments, but Gary Player boomed a tee drive that many a quarter of his age would be content with to raise the curtain on the 88th Masters. The 88-year-old South African continues to reinforce the “Mr. Fitness” moniker he assumed during a glittering playing career, showcasing his youthful exuberance to all at Augusta National as he joined fellow golf icons Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson as Honorary Starters at the major on Thursday. After a two-and-a-half-hour delay due to bad weather, huge crowds gathered to watch the all-star trio hit the ceremonial opening shots of the tournament. Up first, Player remarked that “It’s not so easy to put the ball on the tee now is it?” to his American counterparts, only to then split the first fairway with a smooth drive. After celebrating the effort with his traditional leg-kick, the three-time Masters champion returned once more to the Augusta National clubhouse to share the secrets of his seemingly perpetual youth. “First of all, I love life and I love people and I love my job and I’m extremely happy,” Player told reporters, before recounting a visit to a gerontologist – a professional who specializes in the study of aging and the elderly – in India.