Since his junior days, Tiger Woods has broken a host of records. At 22, he clinched his first Major Championship, the Masters’ Tournament. At 25, he stood on 3 Majors alone. But with rising expectations came distinct guidance. One of them was from Golf legend, Jack Nicklaus, who had a piece of crucial advice for Tiger. Interestingly, his father, the late Earl Woods, had a different opinion on the same subject, throwing his son into indecision.

What was Jack Nicklaus’ advice for Tiger Woods?

Tiger Woods was already a celebrated star in his 20s. However, at the peak of his career, he wasn’t married yet. In the years in which social media apps like Facebook and Instagram were unheard of, little was known about his dating history.

Read More: ‘You Mean More to Me Than Life Itself’: Late Earl Woods Once Wrote a Heartwarming Note For His Son Tiger Woods

During this time, 18-time Major Championship winner, Jack Nicklaus, urged the young prodigy to get married. He stated that wedlock would help Tiger attain a steady focus on golf and a family to play for.

“It will be difficult for him to keep focus on what he is doing if he doesn’t get married,” Nicklaus said. “Who’s Tiger going to play for? For newspaper clippings? Trophies?” asked Nicklaus. “Who’s he going to talk to in his hotel room after rounds?”

What did Tiger Woods’ father, Earl Woods, say about the matter?

Tiger’s father had a different opinion from that of Nicklaus. The man who helped shape Tiger in his formative years said he wasn’t expecting his son to get married before turning the age of 30.

“I don’t see Tiger marrying before 30, if then,” his father, Earl Woods, told TV Guide. “Because he has a lot to accomplish in the game of golf.”

“And let’s face it, a wife can sometimes be a deterrent to a good game of golf.”

Having been in the shoes before, Woods Sr. had given a life lesson to his son. Earl Woods had a troubled personal life – he was married twice and had committed infidelity, fathering many of Tiger’s half-siblings. He clearly didn’t want his son to go through the same road and was clinging on to Woods to avoid the same situation until he was at the peak of his career.

Whose advice did Tiger Woods accept? Well, it turns out he took Nicklaus’ advice over his father’s, marrying Swedish model Elin Nordegren at the age of 28. But as things unfolded over the last decade, it didn’t turn out to be a happy affair after all.

Tiger got divorced in 2010 and hasn’t married since. He took the same road as his father, which was precisely what his late father didn’t want him to take.

Watch this story: Meet Tiger Woods’ family