Gary Player wants Tiger Woods to bounce back: 'We need a black champion'
Legendary golfer Gary Player wants former World No. 1 Tiger Woods to start winning more tournaments.
Woods, whose last Major win came at the 2008 US Open has been struggling to find his form off late. He missed the cut at last week’s Open at St. Andrews and has slipped to No. 258 in the world. Player, a South African has been a vocal supporter of racial equality and equal opportunity all his life.
"We need Tiger Woods. Why? He's a man of color. We need a black champion," Player told Omnisport in England. "Go to Africa, where we've got all these young black kids used to seeing a white guy as the champion. Now they're getting inspired; they're sitting in front of their TV sets. It inspires them; it gets them interested in golf.
"Asia wants to see a man of color. So there are many reasons besides being so charismatic. I don't know if anybody in the world today can play like Tiger Woods did."
The nine-time Major winner also felt Woods knows what he has to do to come back to winning ways.
"He won the U.S. Open by 15 shots and was having a lesson the next week. He’s had lessons from four people or five people who really are not that good at playing. You’ve got to go for a lesson with someone who has been in the arena. If I want to know about business, I’ll go to a businessman, I’ll come to you for good interviews; everyone has got their skills. But Tiger Woods, he needs it overall — mentally, physically and theoretically — so he can get back to normality.”
Woods posted 76 and 75 to miss the halfway cut at the Open.