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By Lauren Deason
PGATOUR.com Editorial Coordinator

Whenever you hear a story about the great Gary Player, it seems there is always some impressive number attached to him. He's traveled over 14 million miles, won 163 golf tournaments worldwide, earned a victory in all four PGA TOUR majors.

The 71-year-old has competed in 49 Masters, tied for the second-most in history behind Arnold Palmer, and even bettered his age by shooting a 69 on the Champions Tour last year.

But perhaps the most extraordinary of all is this magic number-- 50. Come January 19th, that's how long Player and his wife, Vivienne, will have been married. Through all the years, the miles, the wins and losses, and the kids -- six children plus 18 grandchildren and counting -- the couple have spent over five decades madly in love.

Gary Player and wife, Vivienne, will celebrate their 50th anniversary on Jan. 19. (Photo Courtesy of the Gary Player Group)

"It was definitely love at first sight and I love my wife more today than I ever did. And I appreciate the things that she has done for me as a wife," said Player. "She's been a wonderful granny as well. I could never have had the success I've had without this good woman."

The romance began 57 years ago when Player was just 14 years old. Vivienne's father was a golf pro and her family was visiting Player's next door neighbor, who also played the sport. It was Player's brother who first noticed the 13-year-old girl on the other side of the wall.

"My brother said to me, 'Look over the wall. There's a pretty little girl next door, she's a real knockout.'" And the moment Player saw her, he just knew she was the one.

"People find it hard to believe, but I said to my brother Christopher, 'I'm going to marry that girl.' I'd never met her. It was just a premonition, I don't know how else to explain it."

The two spent a lot of time together over the five years of their courtship, with Player spending hours practicing his game at the Virginia Park Golf Club in Johannesburg, South Africa. Her father, Jock Verwey, was the pro there and a mentor to the teenage Player, while young Vivienne worked part-time in the pro shop. A golfer herself, Vivienne and Gary used to play each other for money, though it was just "a few coins in the kitty" at that time.

In 1957, Player traveled to Melbourne, Australia for the Ampol Golf Tournament, which had the biggest prize money outside of the United States in those days. Before he left, he promised Vivienne that he would marry her if he won the event. And win he did, not just the £ 5000 prize but also the hand of his wife.

"In those days you had to send a telegram, there were no faxes or emails and it took a day to make a phone call because the cables went under the ocean and if it was rough you never got the call. A press man sent a telegram to my wife. It said, 'I'm so thrilled to have won the tournament. Will you marry me?'"

She was at a golf tournament when she received it and ecstatically jumped into the air. A cameraman snapped the picture, which became the image of the year in their local newspapers.

The two were married in Johannesburg and honeymooned on the nearby coast. Even on their vacation, the young golf pro practiced every day but Vivienne didn't mind. In fact, Player says she has always been understanding and supportive of his career choice throughout their marriage.

"Arnold [Palmer], Jack [Nicklaus] and I were considered the Big Three but the Big Three were really our wives," he said. "These were special women, who never complained about us leaving and never nagged. For an athlete to excel for a length of time, you have to have a good wife."

And Player has a great wife, whom he gives most of the credit to for raising their large family.

"When we were struggling, I told her I was going to win the Grand Slam. She said that was a tall order but, 'For every major you win, we will have a baby.' I won nine majors but we only had six children because she said, "That's enough." I always tease her about not being a woman of her word."

Their marriage wasn't always easy, between the months on the road and the struggle to make money in the years before huge purses. Not to mention raising their six young children. At one point, the entire Player family traveled together and had so many pieces of luggage that it took three taxis to transport it.

But the couple never went to sleep angry with each other or sulking, because Player would simply, "reach one hand across the bed and say, 'I love you,' and let her do the same." Through all the years, divorce was never an option.

"My advice that I've always said to young people -- difficulties you will encounter but work at it and remember the oaths that you took," Player said, in his warm and wise South African tone. "Divorce is too easy today and people don't make enough effort. If you get a divorce, you'll have a problem with your next wife and the next one, so you might as well make it work with the first."

So as they celebrate their 50th anniversary on Friday in Ka'upulehu-Kona, Hawaii, where Player will compete in the MasterCard Championship at Hualalai, they will relish being with each other and simply getting to spend time together. Vivienne doesn't join Gary as often on the road anymore, since the International Ambassador of Golf still travels to spread the game throughout the world and visit the over 200 courses he has helped design while she spends time with their extensive family.

But for Player, often dubbed the Black Knight, on this golden anniversary what he seems to appreciate most in all the world is the woman who adds the sparkle to his life.

"Behind every successful man is a woman, but behind every successful professional golfer is an exceptional woman."