Golf icon Colin Montgomerie relayed in an interview with The Times it may be time for the golf legend, Tiger Woods, to retire from the greens as his form declined. After his statements, Woods slapped back by stating he was a past champion and he got to choose about his retirement and Montgomerie didn’t have a say in it.
Weeks later, the 2-time US Open winner, Bryson DeChambeau shared his opinions on the 15-time major winner and his retirement and joined the bandwagon. At the LIV Golf United Kingdom’s pre-event press conference, the Crushers GC captain was asked about his thoughts on Woods. The 30-year-old strongly disagreed with Woods retiring at 48.
Bryson DeChambeau talks about his thoughts on Woods’s retirement
Bryson DeChambeau and Tiger Woods’s relationship had been torn after the 2-time US Open winner moved to LIV Golf. However, the two are back on talking terms and DeChambeau has once again supported his idol. Talking about how essential Woods has been in golf, he claimed, “He’s probably the most influential figure in the game of golf,”. DeChambeau believed Woods deserved to play in the majors, unlike Montgomerie.
DeChambeau also praised the 82-time PGA Tour winner for all he has accomplished and continues to do for growing the game of golf. Bryson added, “He continues to give back by playing in these tournaments and trying to win. He wants to win. He’s a competitor,” which by the 30-year-old statement was an admirable quality.
Although Woods barely prevailed since winning the 2019 Masters and has missed cuts in the last three major championships, DeChambeau expressed the 15x major winner could still win events, although it might be “a tough road” to beat the young talent. But still, appreciating his skills, DeChambeau relayed, “He’s got that grit and fire in him that he’s not going to stop until he gets it done. I wouldn’t put it [victory] past him.”
Notably, DeChambeau is not alone in saying that Woods can still play at the highest level, continuing his excellence on the greens. Reigning Open Championship winner, Xander Schauffele had identical thoughts about Woods’s retirement.
Xander Schauffele still believes in ‘El Tiger’
Xander Schaueffele has always been a tremendous supporter of the 15-time major winner and despite his declining legacy, he still maintained that Woods has been the needle mover in golf. His appreciation for the pro stands high. During the pre-tournament presser, he said, “He’s still El Tigre to me.”
Moreover, the 2-time major winner asserted that the game of golf needed him declining viewership for the events and people’s exhaustion with the division in golf.
Schauffele emphasized how Woods should play events and said, “Selfishly, I want him to play as long as possible. It just helps all of the guys out here, just with the amount of eyeballs that someone like Tiger Woods brings to golf.” Similar to DeChambeau, the 9-time PGA Tour winner also reckoned that Woods gives a lot to golf and has “a lot of bite and fight” indicating that he could still win.
With young pros supporting the 15-time major winner and saying that he still has the prowess to win the majors, the day Woods wins his next Major would be stunning to watch!
