With three Claret Jugs, Tiger will call time at The Open when he wants

Would Colin Montgomerie “say goodbye” on the eve of an Open if he’d won three Claret Jugs at the age of 48?

Maybe Tiger Woods could’ve suggested for him to retire in 2016 before Montgomerie played in The Open at Troon at the age of 53, or even after the tournament where he finished in 78th place on 17-over-par.

“I hope people remember Tiger as Tiger was, the passion and the charismatic aura around him. There is none of that now,” was one thing Montgomerie said to the Times.

“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,” was another.

Woods pulled rank on the Scotsman at Royal Troon on Tuesday when he was asked, after being such an icon of golf’s greatest major, if Montgomerie’s remarks were hurtful.

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

While speaking to the Times, Montgomerie also said we were past the point where Woods should retire and that he won’t enjoy playing in The 152nd Open at Troon.

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What I imagine Woods enjoys doing is looking at his trio of Open trophies on his mantlepiece in his Florida mansion, viewing each as a reason to fight on, to keep dreaming.

Maybe Montgomerie was speaking aloud what many people think. After Woods withdrew from the Genesis Invitational in February, I pondered how many more W/D’s he had left before he succumbed to the ever-lasting effects of the injuries sustained in a car crash in 2021.

To me, it’s the timing of these words ahead of an event to which Woods has given so much. He has The Open running through his veins, beach sand in his heart and Claret Jugs for eyeballs.

The Open was one of the many tournaments that got away from Montgomerie during an otherwise marvellous career that yielded 31 wins on the European Tour. He came second in 2005 at St Andrews when Woods won by five shots and further etched his name into the sport’s folklore.

Such harsh criticism of this golfing icon stings with a feeling of ungratefulness. How can we sit back, laud and celebrate each Woods moment that made us feel alive, only to implore him to stop and go home when it appears the flame is dead?

I can’t speak to competing against Woods. Montgomerie certainly can. At the 1997 Masters, the Glasgow man fancied his chances when he was three shots behind Woods at the halfway stage.

“The pressure will be mounting on Mr. Woods. I have a lot more experience in major golf than he has. Hopefully, I can prove that through the weekend.”

If you type ‘famous last words’ into Google, that quote probably appears as the definition. Woods’ win at Augusta National 27 years ago sparked an earthquake and a cultural change in golf that no one could’ve foreseen. Maybe Montgomerie has forgotten about this.

I type this column from the vast media centre in South Ayrshire at an event that has become a commercial monster, and Woods can sleep soundly knowing that is largely because of him.

I and everyone should remember this. Woods will know when to call time at The Open but he has earned the right to decide when and he has certainly earned the right to fight back when someone swings for him on the ropes.

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