The major titles to his name includes the Masters in the year 1961, 1974 and1978, U.S. Open in the year 1965, British Open in the year 1959, 1968 and 1974; PGA Championship 1962 and 1972. He is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame and was admitted in it in the year 1974. He was the only player of the 20th century to have acclaimed the British Open title in three different decades.
He is perhaps the first international golf player to have won the title as well as received international acclaim and was known popularly as the international ambassador of golf. The player is said to have flown through a distance of 15 million miles for golf. He is the first eminent star from South Africa to have won credit in the PGA tours and has won for a total of 27 long and consecutive years. He has won the South African Open 13 times as well as the Australian Open seven times in 27 years.
