The former Ryder Cup captain believes “it’s time for Tiger Woods to go” and calls for the 15-time major winner to retire
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Tiger Woods has only played three tournaments this season on the PGA Tour, all majors. The only tournament he played was the Genesis Invitational, but he withdrew midway through. Tiger Woods has struggled to compete since his car accident and subsequent injury in 2021. In addition to that, Woods also underwent surgery and rehabilitation for plantar fasciitis after the 2023 Masters, forcing him to sit out the entire season. Colin Montgomerie, the 2010 Ryder Cup captain and 31-time European Tour winner, recently spoke about Woods’ future, and according to Montgomerie, it’s time for Woods to call it quits. He said he hopes Woods will be competitive in the future, but the reality is very different. Montgomery’s comments are as follows (via Golf Magic): “It’s time to say goodbye for all athletes, but it’s very difficult to tell Tiger that it’s time to say goodbye. Obviously, he feels he can still win. We’re more realistic. »
Montgomerie added that it’s clear Woods isn’t enjoying the game, which isn’t a good sign. He said he wanted people to remember Woods for the player he was then, not the player he is now.
“I hope people remember Tiger for who he was, his passion and the charismatic aura that surrounded him. There is none of that now. At Pinehurst, he doesn’t seem to like a single shot and you wonder, “What the hell is he doing?” “He’ll come to Troon and he won’t like it there either,” he said.
Woods is fully committed to competing in the 2024 Open Championship, and Montgomery hopes this will be his last PGA Tour event. Tiger Woods was one of the favorites to captain the United States Ryder Cup team in 2025, but days before the announcement, Woods rejected the position. Eventually, Keegan Bradley took over the reins of the team.
Breaking his silence, Woods revealed his decision to turn down the captaincy stemmed from his off-field commitments. Woods was integral to the PIF negotiations, as well as the TGL league. Woods told Golf.com: “Given my new responsibilities to the tour and the time commitment that comes with it, I felt I could not dedicate the time I needed to Team USA and the players as captain. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to be a team captain in the future. When I feel like the time is right, I’ll throw my hat in the ring for this committee to make a decision.”
With his nomination, Keegan Bradley becomes the youngest Ryder Cup captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963.
