Announcement ๐๐ Tiger Woods rebutted calls for him to retire from former world No. 2 Colin Montgomerie ahead of The Open Championship at Royal Troon Golf Club.
In an interview with The UKโs Times published last week, Montgomerie suggested that it was time for Woods to hang up his golf clubs amid battles with injury and form.
โI hope people remember Tiger as Tiger was, the passion and the charismatic aura around him,โ said Montgomerie. โThere is none of that now. At Pinehurst, he did not seem to enjoy a single shot and you think, โWhat the hell is he doing?โ Heโs coming to Troon and he wonโt enjoy it there either.โ
When it was put to him that Woods has said he will retire when he feels he is no longer competitive, Montgomerie added: โArenโt we there? Iโd have thought we were past there. There is a time for all sportsmen to say goodbye, but itโs very difficult to tell Tiger itโs time to go. Obviously, he still feels he can win. We are more realistic.
โThese guys only know Tiger Woods missing the cut and heโs better than that, the best weโve ever seen.โ
In his pre-tournament press conference ahead of this yearโs Open, which tees off Thursday, Woods took the opportunity to address Montgomerieโs comments, referencing the fact that he has earned automatic qualification for the major through his past victories at the event.