Gary Player: ‘Golf needs a black champion’

ONE sporting legend has a rather bizarre idea about why Tiger Woods needs to start winning majors again.

144th Open Championship - Day Two

RORY McIlroy. Jordan Spieth. Zach Johnson.

Golf legend Gary Player is sick of all these white guys winning the sport’s biggest tournaments.

That’s why Tiger Woods needs to recapture his former glory as a “black champion,” said Player, who is white and hails from South Africa.

If not for Woods’ own sake, then for diversity, as inspiration for the youths of Africa and Asia.

“We need Tiger Woods. Why? He’s a man of colour. We need a black champion,” Player told Omnisport this week in England.

Gary Player might be waiting a while to see Tiger win another major.

“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 colour,” continued the 79-year-old, winner of nine career majors. “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.”

Woods, who has been stuck on 14 career majors since 2008, fell to No. 258 in the world rankings after missing the cut at last weekend’s British Open.

Originally published as Gary Player: ‘Golf needs a black champion’