To Kevin Landry, even play is competitive. A good summer Saturday means dueling on a tennis court, trying to land his ferocious lefty smash shot, followed by a round of golf. Every hole comes with a wager — longest drive or closest to the pin. For the afternoon swim, it’s a race to the dock.

For 45 years, Landry has brought his signature energy and drive to Boston’s TA Associates, a leading private equity firm that helped put Boston on the map as a center for buyouts and venture capital and groomed a generation of talent in the business.