TROON, Scotland — Tiger Woods, never one to ignore a dig at him, was ready for the question Tuesday morning at Troon.
Days earlier, Colin Montgomerie, a Ryder Cup hero for Europe and former No. 2 player in the world — though he never won a major championship or a PGA Tour event in the U.S. — made pointed comments suggesting that Woods should retire.
At age 48 and in diminished physical condition with leg and back injuries, Woods hasn’t been in contention to win a tournament in years, with his last victory the 2019 Masters.
“I hope people remember Tiger as Tiger was, the passion and the charismatic aura around him,” Montgomerie told The Times of London. “There is none of that now. At Pinehurst (for the U.S. Open last month) he did not seem to enjoy a single shot and you think, ‘What the hell is he doing?’ He’s coming to Troon and he won’t enjoy it there either.”
Woods, in his pre-tournament press conference in advance of this week’s British Open at Troon, where Montgomerie grew up playing as a child and whose father was the club secretary, shot back at the chatty Scot.
“Well, as a past (Open) champion, I’m exempt until I’m 60 (and) Colin’s not,’’ Woods said with a wry smirk. “He’s not a past champion, so he’s not exempt. So, he doesn’t get the opportunity to make that decision. I do. When I get to his age (61), I get to still make that decision, where he doesn’t.’’
Montgomerie, in the Times interview, suggested that Woods should have retired at the 2022 British Open at St. Andrews.
“That was the time,” Montgomerie said. “Stand on that (Swilcan) bridge, start waving, and everyone goes, ‘So, is that it?’ Yeah, it is.
“It would have been a glorious way to go. The stands were full, the world’s TV cameras—from all continents — were on him, he’s walking up there on his own, tears were in his eyes obviously … you can’t beat that walk.”
Woods has won 15 majors and captured three British Opens — St. Andrews twice (2002 and ’05) and Royal Liverpool (’06).
“There is a time for all sportsmen to say goodbye but it’s very difficult to tell Tiger it’s time to go,’’ Montgomerie said. “Obviously, he still feels he can win. We are more realistic.”
Not in Woods’ eyes.