Tiger Woods isn’t about to let Colin Montgomerie off the hook for offering his opinion about the former’s current struggles.
Speaking to reporters ahead of competing in the Open Championship at Royal Troon in Scotland, Woods ripped the Scottish golfer for chiming in on when the American great should retire.
“Well, as a past champion, I’m exempt until I’m 60. 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,” Woods, 48, said, per Jon McCarthy of the Toronto Sun.
In an interview with the Times of London last week, Montgomerie questioned Woods’ decision to keep going.
“I hope people remember Tiger as Tiger was, the passion and the charismatic aura around him,” Montgomerie, 61, said. “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.”
Montgomerie added it seemed like Woods should have packed it in years ago.
“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,” he said. “Obviously, he still feels he can win. We are more realistic.”
Woods disagreed.
“When I get to his age, I get to still make that decision, where he doesn’t,” he said.
As Woods’ quotes made the rounds on Tuesday, Montgomerie put out a request on social media for golf writers to contact him.
Woods is eligible to play in the Open Championship until age 60. He is playing a limited schedule this year and has made the cut in one of four events.
Montgomerie did not get the same access. He has 31 wins on the former European Tour, but has never won a major, finishing runner-up five times.
Woods has won 15 majors.