GOLF legend Gary Player has criticised Alex Salmond for refusing to attend the Open at Muirfield this week.

The First Minister will miss the tournament after describing the golf club's men-only membership policy as "indefensible in the 21st century".

Player, 77, who won the Open championship at Muirfield in 1959, said Salmond was "wrong" not to visit the tournament.

The South African said: "First of all this is a private club and they are entitled to do what they like."

He added: "Personally, I think the Scottish minister is wrong because of every place you go to you can find something to demonstrate against and this is what we are finding in the world today.

"All over the world everyone is protesting and demonstrating. I just don't believe he's right and this is what I have learned from my great President Nelson Mandela. This is what we have learned from a man like Mahatma Gandhi. This is what we learned from a man like Martin Luther King. And this is what we have learned from probably the greatest world statesman in the world today and that is Lee Kuan Yew [Singaporean politician] and that is to communicate."

Player, who has won nine majors, said: "Don't protest, communicate. Show love and understanding and that is the best way to go about change, and change is the price of survival so I am very much for it."

Tiger Woods, the world's number one golfer, refused, however, to be drawn into the controversy. Asked if he felt there was a moral difference between a golf club excluding members based on their gender or their race, Woods said: "I don't make the policies here. I'm not a member so I'm not going to speak for the club."

Muirfield is formally known as the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers and Mr Salmond said when he announced his boycott: "I would be delighted if Muirfield decided to set up the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Lady Golfers and have playing rights to the course. What I object to is where people can't be members of the course."

Scottish golfer Catriona Matthew yesterday joined the criticism of the men-only rule.

As many as 200,000 people are expected to attend the four-day Open in East Lothian with 500 million more due to watch on television around the globe. Former Women's British Open winner Matthew hit out over the rule that bans women from becoming members at three leading clubs on the championship rota.

The row came as potentially the hottest days of the year are predicted to bring in record numbers to the coastal resorts surrounding the golf course at Gullane.

In addition to Mr Salmond, UK Culture Secretary Maria Miller and Sports Minister Hugh Robertson will stay away in protest.

The organiser, the Royal & Ancient, has been forced to defend its position of allowing the championship to be played at Muirfield which, along with Royal St George's in Kent and Royal Troon, does not allow women members.

Edinburgh-born Matthew earlier urged the St Andrews based governing body's chief executive Peter Dawson to step in and "lead by example".

Matthew said: "I don't feel entirely comfortable in this day and age that such a major sporting event is going to a single sex golf club.

"I believe the matter will be addressed over the coming years but, as Peter Dawson said recently, it's not going to happen overnight."

Mr Dawson re-iterated the Royal & Ancient's earlier stance on taking the Open to clubs like Muirfield, saying courses would not be bullied into changing their policies by the threat of losing the Open.