Why did he do that?’ – Gary Player shares controversial Tiger Woods opinion

Gary Player has recently shared his thoughts on why he believes Tiger Woods did not fully realize his potential as an athlete. Despite Woods’ impressive record of 14 major wins, Player argues that he should have exceeded 20 by now.

Player, a South African golfer with multiple major wins, criticized Woods for turning to coaches who, in his opinion, were only average players. According to Player, this decision disrupted Woods’ momentum and led to a decline in his performance. He specifically pointed to the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, where Woods’ dominance was unmatched, as the peak of his career.

Player believes that Woods’ decision to seek guidance from coaches was a significant mistake, especially given the state of his game at the time. He argued that there was no need for Woods to alter his approach and that doing so hastened his departure from peak form.

Woods is widely recognized as one of the greatest golfers and a major sports icon, but Player feels his legacy could have been even more remarkable. Player highlighted Woods’ victory at the 2000 U.S. Open, where he won by an astounding 15 shots, comparing it to running a 100-meter dash in seven seconds. Yet, shortly after this triumph, Woods began taking lessons from coaches whom Player believes lacked the experience to guide a golfer of Woods’ caliber.

“After winning the U.S. Open by such a margin, he was taking lessons from individuals who, I think, couldn’t perform under the pressure of a major tournament,” Player said. “Why did Tiger do that? He was already so good, but I understand he wanted to improve further.”

Player is convinced that if Woods had maintained his original game, he would have won at least 22 majors, potentially being hailed as the greatest athlete in history.

Woods turned professional at 20 in 1996, following an extraordinary junior, collegiate, and amateur career. By April 1997, he had won his first major, the Masters, by a record-breaking 12 shots, along with three PGA Tour titles. In June 1997, just over a year into his professional career, he ascended to number one in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Woods dominated the sport in the early 2000s, holding the number one ranking for a total of 264 weeks from August 1999 to September 2004, and another 281 weeks from June 2005 to October 2010. He won 13 majors during this period.

However, personal issues and injuries marred the subsequent decade of Woods’ career. Although he secured his fifth Masters title in 2019, he has not regained the form that characterized his early career dominance.

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