Golf great Nicklaus says Woods' woes 'private'

GOLF: PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida, Dec 12, 2009:- Golf great Jack Nicklaus said Thursday that the uproar over Tiger Woods' car crash last month and published allegations of marital infidelity was "none of my business."

Nicklaus, whose 18 major championship titles are a record that has inspired Woods, said he believed the 33-year-old superstar would regain the admiration of the public, but acknowledged the furor was hard on Woods' family.

"Our public is pretty forgiving at times," said Nicklaus, 69. "Time usually heals all wounds. "I think the hardest thing is obviously his family. That's a private matter for him and his family." Woods, owner of 14 major titles, has been lying low since the November 27 crash near his home in the suburbs of Orlando, Florida, in which he hit a fire hydrant and then a neighbor's tree.

News of the crash was followed by revelations of a marital crisis over his alleged affairs with a string of women.

AFP