DP World Tour player thanks Tiger Woods and Fred Couples as he retires aged just 40

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Tiger Woods and Fred Couples will still be eyeing further success on golf, but both have already more than left their mark on the sport.

Woods has been keeping tabs on golf amid his injury, having recently undergone surgery on a ruptured achilles tendon.

American legend Woods congratulated Rory McIlroy on his success at The Masters, with the latter winning his first such title earlier this month.

He completed the career grand slam in the process, joining legends such as Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player in achieving the feat.

Another legend in Couples meanwhile also took on The Masters this year, although the 1992 champion ultimately missed the cut.

Mike Lorenzo-Vera thanks Tiger Woods and Fred Couples in retirement announcement

But Couples made history at The Masters, with the American now among a select group of players thanked as the DP World Tour’s Mike Lorenzo-Vera announces his retirement from golf.

Sharing the news on his Instagram, the 40-year-old wrote: “To my fans… I decided yesterday to stop my golfing career. 20 years with highs and lows. So much fun and tears. This game is insane. And I love it! It’s the best!

READ MORE: The piece of advice Tiger Woods gave Jordan Spieth during practice round in 2015 which helped him win The Masters

“I would like to thank all my fans, my family, my friends, everybody that worked with me, every sponsor that helped me, and of course the DP World Tour family, and all the players and caddies.

“Special thanks to the man that gave me the passion, Jean Lamaison. The sand wedge wizard. And special thanks to four of my idols, Jose Maria Olazabal, Fred Couples, Davis Love III and of course, the boss, Tiger Woods. It was fun, it was hard, it was fantastic.

“But I can’t do that anymore. My priorities have switched. I will play one last tournament at Crans Montana in August. It’s a very special place for me. Merci, gracias, thank you.”

Mike Lorenzo-Vera career stats ahead of retirement from golf

Frenchman Lorenzo-Vera was a popular figure on the DP World Tour, and reached 64th in the Official World Golf Ranking in January 2020.

He didn’t manage to secure a win on the DP World Tour, but was successful on the Challenge Tour, while he also made 13 PGA Tour starts, including one last year at the Barracuda Championship.

READ MORE: What Rory McIlroy said about Tiger Woods immediately after winning his first major championship back in 2011 at the US Open

Lorenzo-Vera has four DP World Tour starts to his name in 2025, having previously taken a six-month break to protect his mental health.

He certainly impressed on the biggest stage once upon a time, having finished T16 at the 2019 PGA Championship.