Tiger Woods isn’t about to let Colin Montgomerie off the hook for providing his opinion concerning the former’s present struggles.
Speaking to reporters forward of competing within the Open Championship at Royal Troon in Scotland, Woods ripped the Scottish golfer for chiming in on when the American nice ought to retire.
“Well, as a past champion, I’m exempt until I’m 60. Colin’s not. He’s not a past champion, so he’s not exempt. So he doesn’t get the opportunity to make that decision. I do,” Woods, 48, mentioned, per Jon McCarthy of the Toronto Sun.
In an interview with the Times of London final week, Montgomerie questioned Woods’ choice to maintain going.
“I hope people remember Tiger as Tiger was, the passion and the charismatic aura around him,” Montgomerie, 61, mentioned. “There is none of that now. At Pinehurst, 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.”
Montgomerie added it appeared like Woods ought to have packed it in years in the past.
“Aren’t we there? I’d have thought we were past there. There is a time for all sportsmen to say goodbye, but it’s very difficult to tell Tiger it’s time to go,” he mentioned. “Obviously, he still feels he can win. We are more realistic.”
Woods disagreed.
“When I get to his age, I get to still make that decision, where he doesn’t,” he mentioned.
As Woods’ quotes made the rounds on Tuesday, Montgomerie put out a request on social media for golf writers to contact him.
Woods is eligible to play within the Open Championship till age 60. He is enjoying a restricted schedule this 12 months and has made the reduce in one in every of 4 occasions.
Montgomerie didn’t get the identical entry. He has 31 wins on the previous European Tour, however has by no means received a serious, ending runner-up 5 occasions.
Woods has received 15 majors.
