Gary Player: I could sort out Tiger

• Nine-time major winner would like to assist Woods.
• Says his advice could help former world No.1 win majors again.
• “I would talk to him about the swing because he’s got flaws.”

Gary Player believes that he could help Tiger Woods turn around his recent fortunes and get him back on the major-winning trail once again.

Speaking to Yahoo’s Graham Bensinger, the South African explained that he would love the opportunity to speak to the former world No.1, who won the last of his 14 major titles at the 2008 US Open.

“I would love to sit down with him for one hour and give him a piece of my knowledge,” Player said. “Then I think he could win majors.”

Player, himself a winner of nine majors, added: “I would talk to him quite a bit about the swing, because he’s got flaws. There’s a reason why he’s not the same Tiger Woods anymore, and I reckon I could get those things across to him that would make a massive change because I’ve had so much experience, which would take him at least another 40 to 50 years to get.”

“If he never had another lesson , just left what he had, he would have won 20, 22, 24 majors.” – Gary Player

Woods has been posted missing from the tour since the PGA Championship in August as he continues his recovery from the injuries that have plagued his season. He is expected to return at the Hero World Challenge – an event that benefits his own foundation – in just over a month’s time.

Currently without a coach, Woods split from Sean Foley in August following four years together. The 38-year-old had previously enjoyed major-winning success with Butch Harmon and Hank Haney but was unable to reproduce the same results under Foley’s tutelage.

Player believes that the continual swing changes Woods, below, has implemented over the course of the last 15 years is one of the main reasons that he has so far failed to surpass Jack Nicklaus’ haul of 18 major victories.

“Tiger was so good. He was so much better than anybody that plays today,” he said. “If he never had another lesson , just left what he had, he would have won 20, 22, 24 majors.”

Woods’ next opportunity to get back on the major-winning trail will come at the Masters in April, by which time it will have been six years, nine months and 30 days since his previous victory in one of golf’s four biggest events.

This is comfortably the longest major drought of Tiger’s career. His next longest is two years, nine months and 22 days between the 2002 US Open and 2005 Masters.

Gary Player :: The man to fix Woods’ game?

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Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor