TROON, Scotland — Never one to ignore his critics, Tiger Woods was ready to take the question on Tuesday morning in Troon.
A few days earlier, Colin Montgomerie, Europe’s Ryder Cup hero and former world number two (who has never won a U.S. major or on the PGA Tour), had pointedly commented that Woods should retire.
Woods, 48 and in deteriorating health due to foot and back injuries, has not been able to compete for a tournament win in recent years, his last victory coming at the 2019 Masters.
“I want people to remember Tiger as the Tiger he was, with all that passion and that charismatic aura around him,” Montgomerie told The Times of London. “None of that is there now. At Pinehurst (last month’s U.S. Open) he didn’t look like he was enjoying one stroke. You think, ‘What on earth is he doing?’ He’ll come to Troon and he’s not going to enjoy it there either.”
Woods hit back at the voluble Scotsman during his pre-tournament press conference ahead of this week’s British Open at Troon, where Montgomerie played as a boy and where his father was club secretary.
“Well, I’m exempt until I’m 60 because I’m a former (Open) champion, but Colin’s not,” Woods said with a wry smile. “He’s not exempt because he’s not a former champion, so he doesn’t have the opportunity to make that decision. I do. When I get to his age (61), I still have the opportunity to make decisions that he doesn’t have.”
In an interview with The Times, Montgomerie suggested Woods should have retired after the 2022 British Open at St Andrews.
“That was the moment,” Montgomery said. “I stood on that (Swilcan) Bridge and started waving and people were like, ‘So that’s it?’ And yeah, it was.”
“What a beautiful passing. The stands were packed, TV cameras from all over the world were pointed at him, from every continent. He was walking out there by himself, obviously with tears in his eyes… you can’t beat that walk.”
Woods has won 15 major championships and has won the British Open three times, twice at St. Andrews (2002 and 2005) and at Royal Liverpool (2006).
“Every athlete has a time to say goodbye, but it’s very difficult to tell Tiger it’s over,” Montgomery said. “Obviously, he still feels he can win. We’re being more realistic.”
That wasn’t how Woods saw it.
