The Open crowd send Tiger Woods very clear three-word message after being told to retire
The atmosphere was electric at Royal Troon as golf legend Tiger Woods stepped onto the first tee for his opening round of The Open Championship. The crowd, with an unwavering enthusiasm, sent a resounding message to the iconic player: “Prove Monty wrong!” This rallying cry was a direct response to recent comments by Colin Montgomerie, who suggested that it might be time for Woods to retire.
Tiger Woods, a titan of the sport with 15 major championships and 82 PGA Tour wins under his belt, is participating in only his fifth tournament of the year. Despite battling ongoing fitness issues, the American golfer’s presence on the course continues to captivate fans worldwide.
Colin Montgomerie’s remarks had stirred significant debate ahead of the championship. Speaking to The Times, Montgomerie opined, “I hope people remember Tiger as Tiger was, the passion and the charismatic aura around him. 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?’.” Montgomerie questioned whether Woods could still be competitive, adding, “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.”
Despite the swirling doubts and criticisms, Woods remained unflinching as he faced the press before the championship. Highlighting his status as a past champion, Woods pointed out, “Well, as a past champion, I’m exempt until I’m 60. Colin is not. He is 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.”
The support for Woods extended beyond the fans. Rickie Fowler, a close friend and fellow golfer, expressed his confidence in Woods’ abilities. “He still has plenty of good golf in him,” Fowler told Mirror Sport. “The game is better when we have him around… I love being able to have Tiger [here]. He has been trying to continue to make sure he is ready to go, playing the majors and then hopefully a few other events on top of that… I would love to see him continue to stay healthy so he can play a select group of events throughout the year.”
As Woods commenced his round at Royal Troon, it was clear that the golfing world was not ready to say goodbye to one of its greatest icons. The 48-year-old’s enduring appeal and resilience were on full display, proving that, despite the challenges, his journey is far from over.
