Colin Montgomerie clarifies Tiger Woods comments after American aims barb at him

Fifteen-time major winner Woods has only made seven official appearances since missing the cut at St Andrews, where two of his Claret Jug wins came, in the 150th Open.

He finished last out of those to make the cut in The Masters at Augusta National in April before missing the cut in both the PGA Championship at Valhalla and the US Open at Pinehurst.

In an interview ahead of this week’s fourth and final major of the year, eight-time European No 1 Montgomerie said: “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.”

Facing the media at Royal Troon on Tuesday, Woods was initially asked why he wanted to keep putting himself through pain to play after undergoing a string of back surgeries before suffering serious leg injuries in a car crash in 2021.

“I'll play as long as I can play and I feel like I can still win the event,” he replied to that before adding in reply to being asked if that belief had ever wavered in the last two years: “No”.

In a follow-up question to that, the 48-year-old was then asked if he felt comments like Montgomerie’s had been hurtful and that, as one of the game’s greatest players, he’d earned the right to decide when it was time to retire.

“Well, as a past champion, I'm exempt until I'm 60. Colin's not,” he said. “He's not a past champion, so he's not exempt. So he doesn't get the opportunity to make that decision. I do. So when I get to his age, I get to still make that decision, where he doesn't.”

Montgomerie, who isn’t playing in this week’s event after bowing out in The Open following his last appearance in 2014, later responded with a post on social media. Writing on X, the Scot said: “If golf writers want my thoughts on Tiger please ask me direct, rather than taking a quote from an interview out of context. Wishing Tiger an enjoyable and successful week.”