London: Gary Player has warned Tiger Woods that if he repeats the mistakes in his personal life that led to him issue a public apology earlier this year, the world No 1 will be "finished".
Player, who won nine majors, including three Opens, is sympathetic to Woods and believes those who have criticised the 14-time major winner in the light of revelations about extramarital affairs that have caused him to be estranged from his wife, Elin, are misguided.
However, Player said: "As his personal problems are concerned, people are too judgmental. I always say that if I was Tiger Woods I would say, ‘Any of you without sin, cast the first stone.' And if you are without sin I'd like to meet you. If God forgives you, who are we not to forgive? And I must say the galleries have been fantastic here at St Andrews and the galleries in America were fantastic.
Attracting criticism
"He's got to go ahead now, he cannot start doing those same mistakes, have the same problems he had again, otherwise he's finished. But he's said he's sorry and we all make mistakes in life, don't we? Why are we so judgmental?"
Woods, who is hoping to win an Open at St Andrews for the third time, has attracted criticism for employing Anthony Galea, a Canadian doctor who has been charged with possessing and administering human growth hormone.
Woods, who is not being investigated, was interviewed by the FBI recently and it is thought that this was regarding his involvement with Galea.
Player would not be drawn on whether Woods was ill-advised to employ Galea. He said: "I don't want to get into Tiger Woods, you've got to use your own imagination there."
Player, who is in St Andrews promoting his new book, No Fear, believes that despite Woods being joined in this year's Open field by very few black golfers, their numbers will start to increase both in his home country, South Africa, and in America.
Segregated policy
He said: "If you look at the numbers of black people in the population in America compared to the white I think black golfers have done well, and they also had a segregated policy way back in America which hurt the golf.
"But right now they have a chance if they're prepared to work hard, it doesn't matter any more who you are or the colour of your skin, if you can play you can get there.
"We had wonderful golfers like Charlie Sifford, Lee Elder, Jim Thorpe, James Johnson, a host. In South Africa we had in the past Vincent Tshabalala and now a young man called James Kamte [who has won on the Asian Tour].
"We have a development fund for young black golfers [in South Africa] so it's only a matter of time before we start seeing them really excel.
"You've got to look at the sport, the black man in South Africa lives for football, the white man for rugby and cricket. One problem we have is poverty and there are not a lot of golf courses in those areas where they have poverty.
More black golfers
"There's one in Soweto and that's just not enough. In my corporate days... I used to see 10 per cent black people I'm seeing 30 per cent now. And the way business is moving in South Africa, on a business day you'll soon see 60 per cent black golfers."
Player also believes that comments he made in 2007 that drugs were a "fact" in golf have helped to clean up his sport.
"Prior to that there were a lot of players trying a lot of things," he said. "I like to think it has helped because it [human growth hormone] was not illegal then."
