Tiger Woods is a master on the golf course. He is a Masters champ. But did you know he’s also a master of the putdown? Former tour player Colin Montgomerie just found that out the hard way.
Montgomerie, in a recent profile for The Times which chronicles his devastating loss at the 2006 U.S. Open, suggested Tiger is past his prime (obviously) and is not enjoying golf any longer.
As such, he recommended Woods retire so people can remember him as the legendary golfer he is.
“I hope people remember Tiger as Tiger was, the passion and the charismatic aura around him,” said Montgomerie.
“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 (Royal Troon Golf Course, site of the 2024 British Open) and he won’t enjoy it there either.”
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Tiger Woods Fires Back At Colin Montgomerie
When it was pointed out that Tiger Woods had insisted he’d retire when he felt he was no longer competitive, Colin Montgomerie doubled down.
“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. Obviously, he still feels he can win. We are more realistic.”
Look, he’s probably right on a majority of what he is saying. Injuries, personal obstacles, and age have all played a role in a significantly diminished Tiger.
But the fact that these comments are coming from a historically underperforming golfer can’t sit well with a guy who has 82 PGA tour wins and 15 majors to his resume.
Woods appropriately fired back.
“Well, as a past champion, I’m exempt until I’m 60. Colin’s not,” Woods told reporters. “He’s not a past champion, so he’s not exempt. So he doesn’t get the opportunity to make that decision. I do.”
Hello? Authorities? I’d like to report an assault!
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Colin’s Miserable Record On The PGA Tour
Montgomerie, who was a legend on the European tour, could never get that success to translate on the PGA tour during his own prime.
He is the very definition of a bridesmaid. Colin is considered one of the greatest golfers to have never won a major – He finished second at the PGA Championship (1995) and the British Open (2005) and multiple times at the U.S. Open (1994, 1997, 2006).
His 2006 loss was perhaps his most famous. After making a crucial birdie on the 17th hole to tie for the lead, Montgomerie found himself in the middle of the 18th fairway (a par 4) but ended up making a double bogey.
A par was all he would have needed to win. Instead, Montgomerie finished one stroke behind the eventual winner, Geoff Ogilvy.
Not only is Colin Montgomerie the best player to have never won a major, he somehow managed to never win on the PGA Tour regular tour. At all.
In 142 events, he has zero victories, six second-place finishes, and four third-place showings.
Meanwhile, Tiger Woods is such a vital part of golfing lore that earlier this year, the PGA Tour policy board decided to create a special exemption recognizing his “exceptional lifetime achievement” that will allow him to tee off in all eight of the tour’s signature events.
Montgomerie has received no such exception, nor will he. Ever.
During his prime playing days, the European golfer often riled up fans and opponents with his obnoxious comments. He once famously had to apologize after taunting American Brad Faxon over his divorce prior to Ryder Cup play.
Fans heckled him so much that Colin at one point threatened to boycott the tour. Oddly enough, even if he did boycott, he would have ended up with the same exact number of PGA tour wins – zero.
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