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Bear wants Tiger at majors
Golf, 10:54, January 9, 2010 ,
Golf legend Jack Nicklaus feels Tiger Woods cannot afford to miss a "big year" if he wants break his record of 18 major wins.
The world number one has not played, and has not been seen, since admitting infidelity and being involved in a car accident outside his Florida home late last year.
He issued an apology on his website and made it clear that his priority now was to save his marriage, after a string of women came out of the woodwork to allege affairs with the 14-time major winner.
Woods missed a large part of last season after undergoing knee surgery but looked back to his best as the season progressed only for off-course events to take over his life.
And Nicklaus feels that it is vital that Woods does play this year as the majority of the majors take place at courses on which he has enjoyed success in the past.
"If Tiger is going to pass my record I think this is a big year - if he doesn't play obviously the chore will be a little tougher," he said.
"Certainly this year where (three of the four) majors are, he loves Augusta, Pebble Beach and St Andrews - he 'owns' all three of those places.
But the 69-year-old believes that golf will survive either with or without Woods.
"There was golf after Bobby Jones, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, the game has always survived us and the game will continue to go forward," he added.
"Tiger is a big influence and probably the largest we have ever had and I certainly hope he comes back and plays. But the tour is not all about one person."