There was a time when Gary Player's age was a non-issue, and the future still held limitless glory for the stately South African.

But Player is now 63 years and eight months old, competing on a circuit where it's considered ideal to be in your 50s. If only more people thought 50 was an ideal age to be.

A golfer winning a Senior PGA Tour event in his 60s is an uncommon feat. That's why within each regular senior tournament, a Super Senior champion is determined among all the pros who are over 60 years old. Pessimists might label it a consolation prize for those who can no longer keep up with the field. Player himself said at last year's tournament that he thinks there should be a separate tour for golfers 60 and older.

When Player won the Northville Long Island Classic last year, he became the second oldest player to ever win a Senior PGA Tour event. This year, he has come back to defend his title at the Lightpath Long Island Classic in Jericho.

Player is seeking to fulfill a personal challenge that would be unmatched by any golfer in history - to win a tournament in six different decades. Of course, to do that, he'll have to wait for the year 2000, when he'll turn 65. According to Player, that shouldn't be a problem, considering that he has confidently predicted that "I will win in my 70s."

He still has the physique to back up that kind of bold statement. There are plenty of 30-year-olds who aren't as in shape as Player appears to be. He has an intense workout regimen that he follows on a daily basis. Seemingly immune to travel fatigue, he is a globetrotter who estimates that he has logged over 11 million miles. He designs and inspects golf courses all over the world, breeds horses and runs the Gary Player Foundation, a charity which promotes education. And, at least publicly, this non-stop life doesn't appear to wear on him.

The Northville remains the last tournament which Player has won. In a commendable display of consistency, Player shot a 68-68-68-204 to secure first place. His acumen more than made up for his unexpected case of "jitters," and the distance he has lost over the years.

Player's fiercest competition came from Walter Hall, who was still looking for his first tournament win, after finishing among Northville's leaders in 1997. Hall had a chance on Hole 17 to tie for the lead, but his birdie putt rimmed out of the hole. When Player, who was in the second-to-last pairing, parred the 18th hole, Hall knew he had to birdie the final hole to force a playoff.

Tournament Director Jack Russell recently provided new insight into the tournament's dramatic final moments.

According to Russell, Player went to the scorer's tent immediately after his round and listened intently to radio reports on Hall's late progress. You could see him breathe a little sigh of relief when Hall, in the final grouping, failed to birdie 17. The next radio report announced that Hall's tee shot on the 18th landed about six feet from the pin.

"Player immediately said to the official, 'Is it above or below?' Because he knew that if it was hit above the hole, it was going to be a more difficult putt," said Russell. Player then approached the 18th hole, and stood at the side of the green, where Hall spotted him. "I don't know if it was a nervous reaction or what, but he [Hall] said, 'Gary, would you like to putt this for me?'"

But Hall was on his own, and missed the six-footer. An elated Player had won the Northville for the second time in his career. The first time was in 1987, when the tournament debuted as an invitational. His take of the purse last year was $150,000, but the far greater prize was a championship at 62 years of age.

It would be the last tournament in which Player would participate in more than a month. After his victory, he flew with his family to Tuscany for a vacation. But before he departed, he requested something from Russell, which showed just how much the victory meant to him.

According to Russell, "He said, 'Jack, can you get me videocopies of the tournament for my family to see? I'd like to sit through the tournament and enjoy it again."