Tiger Woods pushes back hard on call for retirement

The finest perk of winning a major might just be the way it can impact literally the rest of an entire career. Even a single major victory guarantees that no matter what else happens in your career, you’ll be playing that major for years, even decades into the future. But then, the opposite corollary is true: If you can’t manage to secure that major win, it will haunt you for the rest of your days.

Tiger Woods hasn’t won the Open Championship since 2006. But he’s still won it three times, which is three times more than you, me or Colin Montgomerie. Monty is many things — a decorated professional, a Ryder Cup champion — but he never won the Open Championship, only coming as close as a solo second-place finish in 2005. He’s only played the tournament once in the last 14 years, finishing 78th in 2016.

Last weekend, Montgomerie made the call for Woods to retire once and for all. “Aren’t we there? I’d have thought we were past there,” 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.”

Woods hasn’t finished higher than T37 in any major in the 2020s, and he’s withdrawn from or missed the cut at five of the past six majors he’s played. But even if his game has softened, his competitive edge hasn’t. Asked prior to this week’s Open Championship about Montgomerie’s call for him to hang it up, Woods grinned.

“As a past champion, I’m exempt until I’m 60,” Woods said. “Colin’s not.”

If Woods can put together a few more shots like that out on the course at Royal Troon this week, he might just have a chance.