/ AP

Along with his nine major championships, the career Grand Slam and victories in just about every country that has a golf course, the legacy of Gary Player, right, will be felt strongest at Augusta National when he competes in his 50th consecutive Masters, tying the record set three years ago by Arnold Palmer.

updated 4:17 a.m. ET April 1, 2007

The first leg of his estimated 15 million miles in an airplane sent Gary Player to St. Andrews in 1955 for the British Open, a small step for a South African man with big ambitions.

He packed two pairs of trousers, two shirts, one pair of shoes and his golf clubs. He had his life savings in his pockets, about 200 British pounds. And he couldn't find an affordable roof over his head when he arrived.

"I couldn't get a hotel for under 50 pounds. That was a quarter of my wealth,'' Player said. "I slept in one of those dunes where they filmed 'Chariots of Fire.' I slept on the beach that night. And the next day, I found a room for 12 schillings and 6 pence.''

So began one of golf's most amazing journeys.

Player wasn't the first golfer to travel the world, but none has been more prolific.

"He influenced the growth of the game internationally quite a bit,'' Jack Nicklaus said. "There were a lot of players who traveled extensively. Still, Gary probably traveled more than anyone, and still does. He is, and always has been, a great ambassador of the game.''

Along with his nine major championships, the career Grand Slam and victories in just about every country that has a golf course, Player's legacy will be felt strongest at Augusta National when he competes in his 50th consecutive Masters, tying the record set three years ago by Arnold Palmer.

The first Masters in 1934 had three international players.

When the 71st Masters begins Thursday, there will be a record 50 international players from 20 countries on every continent where golf is played, from Fiji to France, from India to Ireland, from Colombia to Trinidad & Tobago.

For the first time in Masters history, international players outnumber Americans.

In many respects, Player paved the way.

"I was pretty inspired when I read his autobiography - I read it twice when I was a youngster,'' U.S. Open champion Geoff Ogilvy of Australia said. "He proved you can come from a less-than-ideal scenario to the U.S. tour, and it was a long way from South Africa, especially 50 years ago. Very impressive.''

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He estimates he has hit more than 11 million golf balls, and probably has done as many sit-ups. He was a fitness freak before athleticism among golfers was in vogue. He needed to be in shape to log so many miles in the sky.

Check out his itinerary over the last two months leading into the Masters.

He went from Johannesburg to Singapore to Japan to Hawaii, where he twice broke his age with rounds of 69 at a Champions Tour event. He went from Houston to New York to Abu Dhabi to Dubai, back to New York and to West Palm Beach. While in Florida, he shot his age (71) at another Champions Tour event. He went home to South Africa, and returns to America for his favorite event.

And in this era of private jets, Player still goes commercial.

"Pretty remarkable,'' said Tiger Woods, who gets around the world in a Gulfstream V. "He was the first real global player. I mean, he played everywhere. It's hard to imagine. Ernie (Els) does it now and he has his own G-IV. From the times I've talked to Jack and Arnold, they said flying privately has prolonged their career. Just imagine if Gary would have come along in this day and age.''