2015 US Open: Gary Player torches Chambers Bay: 'It's a tragedy'

Gary Player is not pleased with the US Open at Chambers Bay. He says it's one of the worst.

By Kyle Porter

Jun 19, 2015 at 1:49 pm ET • 1 min read

UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. -- Gary Player is crazy, and I mean that in an endearing way. He's celebrating the 50th anniversary of winning his career grand slam this month but isn't impressed with how this year's US Open was structured.

He called Chambers Bay "one of the worst golf courses I've seen in my 63 years as a pro," in an interview with Yahoo recently. "The world is in dire straits with water. Can you imagine the costs to maintain this? I'd like to challenge anyone with a 16 handicap to do better than 40 over par. It's basically unplayable."

Player doubled down on this criticism when he went on Golf Channel's Morning Drive on Saturday before the third round. Player called the course "devastating" and "a tragedy," and shredded designer Robert Trent Jones.

"This has been the most unpleasant golf tournament I have seen in my life," said Player. "The man who designed this golf course had to have had one leg shorter than the other."

Player continued on by complaining that as a public course, it would be unplayable for the average golfer.

"This is a public golf course," said Player. "This is where we're trying to encourage people to come out and play, and get more people to play the game...It's actually a tragedy. It's 7,900 yards long. Can you imagine?...The average golfer playing this golf course, I'm telling you, if they're a 15 or 16 handicap is going to shoot a 110 and they aren't going to go home a happy man."

Player said he also once taught Elvis to play golf.