Golf legend Colin Montgomerie has told Tiger Woods to retire, insisting the legend has lost the ‘passion and charismatic aura’ that made him the sport’s best.
Woods, 48, is still the biggest draw in golf but the number of tournaments he plays in is seriously dwindling due to health issues.
He has endured five back surgeries and four knee surgeries and shattered his right leg and ankle in a horrific car crash in Los Angeles in February 2021.
As a result, Woods has played in just four PGA Tour events this year and missed the cut at both the PGA Championship in May and US Open.
Woods will play at The Open at Royal Troon next week but has indicated it will be his last tournament of 2024.
Montgomerie, a Ryder Cup legend and former No. 2 in the world, believes it is time Woods finally walked away.
‘Aren’t we there? I’d have thought we were there,’ Montgomerie told 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.
‘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.’
Earlier this week, Woods rejected the US captaincy for the 2025 Ryder Cup due to his time-consuming role in the PGA Tour’s talks with the Saudi backers of LIV Golf.
The rejection by Woods, who was the overwhelming favorite to take over as captain, saw Keegan Bradley take up the role.