After a challenging finish to his Masters match at Augusta, Tiger Woods, the 15-time major champion, was informed that his days of competing at the highest level of professional golf are finished.
In only his second start of the year, Woods made his way through Georgia’s harsh weather conditions to make the 36-hole cut last Friday. In rounds one and two, Woods displayed hints of his former self. In the process, the American created Masters history once more by breaking the record with his 24th cut at Augusta.
However, a mere twenty-four hours later, Woods was making headlines for all the wrong reasons when he recorded his worst performance in a major championship, shooting a 10-over-par 82 in the third round.
After battling back on Sunday, he went on to shoot five over 77 in the final round, which helped him finish the tournament in 60th place at 16 over par. After suffering potentially fatal injuries in an automobile accident in 2021, the 82-time PGA Tour winner’s recent problems have been widely reported.
He was compelled to play on a part-time basis after that, seeing only eight starts in a 24-month period. One was at the 2022 Open Championship at St Andrews, where the three-time Claret Jug winner was greeted like a hero as he bowed out following the second round on the famous 18th hole.
Furthermore, Colin Montgomerie, a former opponent of his, believes that his moving performance at the Home of Golf ought to have been his last. “I just wish Tiger had gone after he waved on that Swilken bridge at St Andrews a couple of years ago,” he stated to talkSPORT. “He has persisted and believes he can succeed, but it is now very evident, both psychologically and physically, that he cannot.
“It’s not enough that he competes once a month. You can’t expect to compete with these players right now by playing only once a month. He went on to win the competition 82–77. Obviously, it’s not close, and I wish he had said farewell to the golfing world a few years back. When he removed his hat at the conclusion, he did wave good-bye.”
Similar to his outcome at the Open two years prior, Woods was greeted with enthusiasm at the 18th hole. In response, he waved his cap to the Augusta fans, which Montgomerie surmises might have been his farewell. “Yes, his wave was larger than usual. Is that the case? With Tiger, you never know.
“Next month, he claims to be playing in the PGA. Of course, we wish him well. He truly has been our sport for the past 15 to 20 years, so congrats to him. But it’s time to leave. There are appropriate and inappropriate times to go, and it seems like he’s been putting it off for a while now.” Nevertheless, Woods has made a commitment to continue, announcing on Sunday after the round that he will compete in the final three majors of the year.