Woods’ response was pointed and clear:

“Well, as a past champion, I’m exempt until I’m 60. Colin’s not. He’s not a past pioneer, so he’s not exempt. So he doesn’t get the opportunity to make that decision. I do,” he said, referring to the fact that he can participate in The Open until he’s 60. Montgomerie does not have this privilege.

Montgomerie’s comments continued beyond Pinehurst.Tiger Woods of the United States looks on prior to The 152nd Open championship at Royal Troon on July 15, 2024 in Troon, Scotland. Woods responds to questions of retirement. KEVIN C. COX/GETTY IMAGES

“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.

“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.

“It was very difficult to see,” he said in reflection of Wood’s performance at Augusta. “I don’t think Augusta was the course to come back on. Augusta is a mountain climb. It’s very, very physically demanding. More so than anyone would ever imagine.

“So to come back on that one was unfortunate. The cold, damp weather on Saturday was enough for him. It was too much.”

Despite Woods’ challenges in recent major tournaments, where he withdrew from the 2023 Masters due to injury and missed cuts at subsequent majors, he remains steadfast on returning to the sport, and to do so in good health.

Discussing his condition ahead of The Open, he credited intense gym sessions to his newfound strength.

“I’ve been training a lot better. We’ve been busting it pretty hard in the gym, which has been good. Body’s been feeling better to be able to do such things, and it translates on being able to hit the ball better,” he admitted.

The debate around Woods’ retirement isn’t a new plot point. The Scottish golfer suggested that Woods had missed a “golden” opportunity to retire at St. Andrew’s during The Open in 2023.

“Should he have retired last year at St. Andrew’s? The opportunity was golden. The sun was shining. The Swilcan bridge was waiting for the wave. A lot of people thought it might happen then. It possibly should have done.”