Colin Montgomerie believes Tiger Woods should have made the tearful wave he gave to St Andrews in July his formal farewell to the game.
Woods’ appearance in The Match last Saturday left golf fans around the world wondering if it was time for the 15-time Major champion, who was noticeably in pain, to retire.
Montgomerie, one of Woods’ finest contemporaries, feels that the perfect time for him to retire from professional golf was at this year’s Open.
“Stand on that bridge, start waving, and everyone goes, ‘So, is that it?’ Yeah, it is. It would have been a glorious way to go,” Montgomerie told Bunkered.
“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. I’ve done it myself. When the stands are full, you cannot beat that walk.
“That was the time for Tiger to say, ‘OK, I bow out.'”
Tiger, we hope to see you at St Andrews again
Thank you#The150thOpen pic.twitter.com/1rdD8tZKKE
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 15, 2022
Woods, though, plans to keep playing a limited schedule and still hopes “to get not only just one [more tournament win] but I would like to get a big one too”.
Montgomerie, who finished in second place five strokes behind Woods at the 2005 Open, was asked if Tiger, soon to be 47, could win again on Tour.
“I don’t see him doing that,” he replied. “People will say, ‘Oh come on, Monty.’ Listen, yes, he’s great. But Tiger doesn’t have to now just get back to the standard he was performing at then. He has to improve it.
“I can’t see that happening. I’d love it to happen because it’s great for the game. I would love him to win. But I just can’t see it happening.”
