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Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player know all about the grind of golf. The legendary duo combined for nine green jackets among their 27 total major victories.
Tiger Woods has won the Masters five times, and while he will be absent from Augusta this year, he is still in the national spotlight after his arrest last month.
Amid a broken-down body, Woods has undergone nearly 30 surgeries on his back and leg, and during his DUI arrest, authorities said deputies found pills identified to be hydrocodone, a prescription opioid for pain medication.
“Do I blame him for taking medicine? Hell, no. He has sleep deprivation. Do I blame him for taking something to help him sleep? No,” Player said Thursday at Augusta, via ESPN.
But Player said Woods must be smarter with his decision-making.
“I don’t think he should drive a car. When you’re taking that medicine, it’s dangerous when you’re driving a car, same as it’s dangerous when you look at your cell phone in the car.”
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To make matters worse, Woods admitted to authorities after the crash that he had been looking at his phone. Woods pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence but announced he would “seek treatment” following his arrest.
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“My heart goes out for him,” Player said. “There’s nothing worse than living in pain every day of your life. You can’t think of anything worse. I just hope he can get it all sorted out because he’s such an asset to golf and has done so much for the game.”
Nicklaus added, “Just whatever you need to help you and get back, because I think golf needs him, and we’d love to have him back.”
Woods was granted permission on April 1 to travel out of the country “to enter into comprehensive inpatient treatment.” It is believed he is at a facility in Switzerland.
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Authorities said in a court order that a subpoena will be issued later this month for Woods’ prescription drug records from Jan. 1 through the day of his crash.
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