Gary Player says how he honestly thinks Tiger Woods will be remembered when he stops playing golf

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Tiger Woods is eligible for the senior tour next year and with that, we have got to start asking the question of when Father Time will fully catch up.

Woods has had a golf career like few others and with 15 majors, 82 PGA Tour wins and a legacy on the game nobody else can match, he will hope to be remembered well.

As we know, though, Woods has also had a number of personal issues and problems that have had an impact on his career.

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Sure, those are off-course issues and shouldn’t be confused with his on-course achievements. In theory, it shouldn’t matter when it comes to his legacy as a golfer.

And according to another legend of the game, Gary Player, Woods is very much the greatest player the game has ever seen.

Gary Player says why golf should remember Tiger Woods fondly

With Gary Player recently naming himself as the third best player behind Woods and Jack Nicklaus, he is always going to have other comments on Woods and others.

Player is a nine-time major winner himself and has plenty of experience and honours to warrant such opinions.

Now, when asked by Golf Digest how he sees Woods being remembered when he stops playing,

“I hope well. Tiger Woods is the greatest player golf has ever seen, but his record is not the best. Jack Nicklaus’ record is the best. I can’t go by ifs. If I had lived in America, I would have won at least another three or four majors. Traveling from South Africa with six children, being away from home, living in motels,” Player suggested.

Asked who he thinks would win in an 18-hole match between prime Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus, Player very much sat on the fence.

“It’s a completely different game. But if they both played the same game, exactly across the board, in their prime, I’d give it a tie.”

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Tiger Woods deserves nothing but love from the golf world when he retires

We can all sit and judge what might or might not have gone in on Tiger’s personal life but when it comes to a pure golf perspective, there hasn’t been anyone better.

Put simply, those now making a healthy living and raking in millions of dollars in prize money and sponsorship would not be doing so if it wasn’t for Tiger Woods.

Much like Michael Jordan in the NBA, Woods has been a trailblazer for golf as a sport in general and has helped bring it to worldwide markets.

When he does eventually stop playing, Woods should be remembered solely as one of – if not the – greatest golfers to ever do it.