The Open Championship crowd sent a clear message to Tiger Woods after the PGA Tour legend was ordered to retire
Colin Montgomery suggested Tiger Woods should end his playing career ahead of The Open and one Royal Troon fan expressed his feelings on the matter.
“Prove Monty wrong!” was the shout from the first tee at Royal Troon as Tiger Woods started his first round of the Open Championship on Thursday.
This week marks only the fifth time this year for Woods as the 82-time PGA Tour champion continues to play part-time amid concerns about his fitness. His injury setbacks have unsurprisingly hampered his game in recent years, and heading into this week’s event his future was questioned.
Woods’ former rival in Colin Montgomerie suggested it could well be time for the 15-time major winner to call time on his playing days, telling The Times: “I hope people remember Tiger as Tiger was, the passion and the charismatic aura around him. “This is not the case now. In Pine Hurst, he doesn’t seem to enjoy a blow, and” What is he doing? “Montgomery resigned only when he was no longer competitive. The problem of the forest declaration has been added as follows. I thought it was over.
“It’s time to say goodbye for all athletes, but it’s very difficult to tell Tiger it’s time to say goodbye. Obviously, he feels he can still win. We’re more realistic. » But with his first round underway in Ayrshire, it seems the gallery is still keen to see golf’s great compete at the highest level. In the first wooden round of the first round, it was clear when there was a 48 -year -old man inspired by a large crowd when he started the week on the Royaltoon. Woods himself called for Montgomery’s claim at a press conference before the championship on Tuesday, providing a cruel reaction.
Highlighting the fact that he was exempt to play this week as a past champion – an honour Montgomerie does not have – Woods said: “Well, as a past champion, I’m exempt until I’m 60. Colin is not. He is not exempt because he is not a former champion, therefore he has no chance of making this decision. “I do so, so when I arrive at his age, I always make this decision in a place I don’t do.” Time Open Champion is still there. “He still has a lot of good golf skills,” he told Mirror Sports.
“The game is even better with him there… I love having Tiger here.” “He’s going to try to continue to play a major and hopefully play a few other events on top of that to make sure he’s ready… I just want him to continue to stay healthy and be able to play in that whole group of select events, which is a big part of what we’re looking at this year.”