Which South African became the first non-American to win the Masters?

The South African who became the first non-American to win the Masters was Gary Player.

Player achieved the breakthrough at the 1961 Masters Tournament at Augusta National. He finished at 8 under par, one stroke ahead of Arnold Palmer and amateur Charles Coe, and became the first international champion of the event.

The victory was especially dramatic because heavy rain and flooding forced the scheduled final round to be abandoned and replayed on Monday. Player held off Palmer despite a difficult back nine, while Palmer’s double bogey at the final hole ended his chance of forcing a playoff.

The green jacket was Player’s first of three Masters victories. He won again in 1974 and 1978, and his 1961 triumph helped cement his reputation as one of golf’s earliest truly global stars. Bobby Locke was also a pioneering South African golfer, but he did not win the Masters.