It seems unlikely Robert Trent Jones Jr. and Gary Player will collaborate on a design project anytime soon.
A few days after Player unleased an epic rant about U.S. Open host Chambers Bay, the course’s designer fired back in a story that appeared earlier this week in Global Golf Post, saying that Player has “not demonstrated an ability to design courses of championship quality.”
“Gary Player was a strong player but is so no longer,” Jones said, according to the report. “He is now an architect. He has not demonstrated an ability to design courses of championship quality. It is appropriate that his favorite color seems to be black because some of his points of view are dark. He and I are competing so I regarded his comments as a competitive dissing of my work.”
Among other things, Player described the U.S. Open as “the most unpleasant golf tournament I’ve seen in my life”, called Chambers Bay a “tragedy” and said that the designer, Jones, “had to have one leg shorter than the other.”
Responded Jones: “I don’t look as though my legs are not the same length, do I?”
Instead of continuing the war of words Wednesday, Player tapped out six tweets that made veiled references to the dispute:
Ha, thank you. We are indeed proud of our design portfolio worldwide. To avoid criticism say nothing, do nothing. GP pic.twitter.com/liWGFQRfMP
— Gary Player (@garyplayer) June 24, 2015
"He has a right to criticize, who has a heart to help." - Abraham Lincoln
— Gary Player (@garyplayer) June 24, 2015
Don't let people's compliments go to your head and their criticism get to your heart... pic.twitter.com/e3bA2EnUDe
— Gary Player (@garyplayer) June 24, 2015
The trouble with most of us is that we'd rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism - Norman Vincent Peale
— Gary Player (@garyplayer) June 24, 2015
I've always looked on criticism as motivation to work harder and as a sort of envious tribute. pic.twitter.com/Z6HFgVXF94
— Gary Player (@garyplayer) June 24, 2015
Yes. This is The Links at Fancourt that hosted The Presidents Cup where @TheBig_Easy and @TigerWoods tied the cup. pic.twitter.com/NdHFJvMedt
— Gary Player (@garyplayer) June 24, 2015
Player wins, 1 up.
