Getting up close and personal with Gary Player

MUCH has been written and commented on Tiger Woods' return to playing on the PGA Tour after a 14-month absence. After announcing he would play in the Safeway Open earlier this month, the former world number one and 14-major winner withdrew three days later saying he was not ready to compete. Woods has also pulled out of next month's Turkish Airlines Open, which would have been his second event.

Legendary nine-major winner Gary Player, a fan of the 40-year-old Woods, also weighed in on the issue at the recent Mission Hills Celebrity Pro-Am, which took place in Haikou, China, last weekend.

"It's going to be the most interesting thing I've seen in golf when he comes back. There are going to be various scenarios - will he play again? Will he win again? And will he win a major? We all need Tiger Woods to come back and play well. Everybody needs him."

He adds: "My personal opinion is I don't think he has a snowball's chance of winning more majors than Jack Nicklaus (18). But Tiger Woods is a different human being - in my opinion I don't think he can, but it would be the most wonderful thing for golf if he could because we need him."

Player, 81, is one of the most successful golfers in the history of the sport, often referred to as one of the "Big Three" with Nicklaus and the late Arnold Palmer.

The South African completed a career grand slam of all four majors before he turned 30 and was the only player in the 20th century to win the Open Championship in three different decades.

Renowned for his dedication to fitness - he posed for ESPN The Magazine's yearly Body Issue at the age of 77 - Player, who has six children, says eating properly and his exercise routine have contributed greatly to his success both on and off the course.

"The biggest change when you age is physical. I train hard and when I go to the gym I run 1,000 steps on the treadmill each time. Experience and knowledge are fantastic, but the nerves get worse as you get older."

Next January will see Player renew his vows with his wife Vivienne on their 60th wedding anniversary with their children and 22 grandchildren in attendance.

Other passions for Player include course design - he is a renowned golf course architect - breeding racehorses at his stud farm in South Africa and charity work. Player operates The Player Foundation which builds schools in South Africa and has raised around US$60 million for impoverished children.

And while Player is excited about the growth of golf in China and in other parts of Asia, he feels that amateur golf does have to change worldwide to grow even further. "Rounds of golf are dreadfully down, so we have to go to schools and get kids to come out and play."

He adds: "Mr Lee Kuan Yew was the best political leader of my 81 years. He was a genius and he said you have to incentivise people in the world. And that's what we have to do, to get young people out of schools and incentivise them if they play well."