Gary Player and son Mark’s relationship in the rough
Gary Player’s son Mark has expressed sadness over what he considers his “deteriorated” relationship with his father.
This follows last week’s news that the legendary golfer would receive a $5 million settlement (about R87 million) after an arbitration dispute with the Gary Player Group – his company operated by Mark – over ownership and naming rights. Now, the Gary Player Group has confirmed it will be seeking a counterclaim beyond the resolved arbitration.
“Mark Player, individually, was never part of the dispute,” Darren Heitner, of the Gary Player Group, said on Thursday. “No other corporate entity, including Black Knight International, was named a party in the action.”
The statement added the awarding of the $5 million was consented to by both parties and confirmed that all ownership rights as laid out in a 2013 agreement between Gary Player and the Gary Player Group would revert back to Player.
But Heitner argued that did not include the assets held by Black Knight Trust – another of Player’s entities.
“The Gary Player trademark portfolio has been managed, protected, registered, expanded, developed, enforced and commercialised by Mark Player and his teams, including via various entities in the group, for 35 years,” said Eugene Honey from Adams & Adams, Black Knight International’s SA trademark attorneys.
The statement added the Gary
Player Group’s counterclaim could not be considered by a US arbitrator as certain financial information could not be obtained out of SA.
According to the statement: “Gary Player has thus far declined to fully disclose his earnings in SA to enable a financial reconciliation of the respective amounts owed between the parties.”
Mark Player said: “This has been a long, tiring, costly, emotional and tedious process pitting father against son. I have genuinely tried to reconcile.” – News24