The journalist had not even finished asking the question before Tiger Woods calmly took over and began a response which proved to be every bit as ruthless as the 49-year-old when he had a 54-hole lead at a major.
It was ahead of The Open Championship at Royal Troon in 2024 that Tiger Woods was asked about comments made by Colin Montgomerie a couple of weeks prior.
Woods had finished last of those who made the cut at The Masters. Meanwhile, he had not made the weekend at the PGA Championship or the US Open. With that, the Scot – speaking to The Times – issued a passionate plea to perhaps the greatest golfer of all time.
The comments Colin Montgomerie made which upset Tiger Woods
Montgomerie suggested that the time had come for Woods to call time on his career with the American no longer capable of competing with the best players of this era.
“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?’ He’s coming to Troon and he won’t enjoy it there either,” he said.
“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.
“These guys only know Tiger Woods missing the cut and he’s better than that, the best we’ve ever seen.”
How Tiger Woods hit back at Colin Montgomerie
No one could read Montgomerie’s comments and think that he wanted anything other than the best for Woods. But of course, certain sentences look particularly harsh in isolation.
So perhaps it is no surprise that Woods was cutting when he was asked about what Montgomerie had said.
“Well, as a past [Open] champion, I’m exempt until I’m 60,” he said. “Colin’s not. He’s not a past champion, so he’s not exempt. So he doesn’t get the opportunity to make that decision. I do.”
As reported by the Guardian, Montgomerie replied on social media: “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.”
Unfortunately, it did not prove to be a successful week for Woods. He was one of several big names to miss the cut at Royal Troon.
And what is particularly sad is that it remains the most recent tournament Woods has played in as an individual.
What Woods has done since missing the cut at The Open Championship
He did play in the PNC Championship in December, while he made several appearances in the inaugural season in TGL.
But he did not play in a single major in 2025. Woods ruptured his Achilles in March. Meanwhile, he confirmed last week that he has undergone back surgery. It is not yet clear how long he will be sidelined for.
With that, Montgomerie will likely feel vindicated for what he said about Woods.
Some do not think Woods will play in another major. It is a desperately sad situation for someone who absolutely deserves to pick the moment he departs the stage he largely built for the final time.
You can never write off Tiger Woods. The 2019 Masters proved that remained the case. Woods is the man who won a major on one leg back in 2008. He needed to play 91 holes to win on that occasion too.
However, every setback makes a return even harder to picture. And if his body does give him enough of a break to allow him to set his sights on playing again, Woods then has to find a way to be competitive on the course.
The brutal truth is that Woods needs potentially the greatest comeback of his career to prove Montgomerie wrong.
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