Returning to Royal Troon for the primary time in 20 years, Tiger Woods is feeling stronger than he has in months and greater than able to sinking his enamel into The British Open. And the Tiger insists he’s nonetheless able to delivering a chew.
The primary pundit to really feel the sting from the Tiger’s tail is Scottish champion Colin Montgomerie, who queried why the 15-time main champion was nonetheless competing given his ongoing health and kind struggles.
Woods, who spoke at Royal Troon on Tuesday, made a pointed reference to the shortcoming of the five-time main runner-up to safe an exemption when delivering his response.
“I’ll play so long as I can play and I really feel like I can nonetheless win the occasion,” Woods mentioned.
“As a previous champion, I’m exempt till I’m 60. Colin’s not.
“He’s not a previous champion, so he’s not exempt. So he doesn’t get the chance to make that call. I do. So once I get to his age, I get to nonetheless make that call, the place he doesn’t.”
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In a pre-tournament preview with The Instances, Montgomerie famous Woods didn’t look to be having fun with himself when he performed at Pinehurst in the course of the current US Open and doubted the American legend would have a superb time at a course he final performed in 2004.
“At Pinehurst, he didn’t appear to get pleasure from a single shot and also you suppose, ‘What the hell is he doing?’” he mentioned.
“He’s coming to Troon and he received’t get pleasure from it there both. I hope individuals keep in mind Tiger as Tiger was, the fervour and the charismatic aura round him. There’s none of that now.
“There’s a time for all sportsmen to say goodbye, however it is rather troublesome to inform Tiger it’s time to go. Clearly he nonetheless feels he can win. We’re extra sensible.”
Montgomerie, who completed runner-up to Woods within the 2005 British Open, issued a clarification on social media after the press convention “wishing Tiger an pleasing and profitable week”.
The previous world No. 2, an eight-time European Order of Benefit winner, wrote; “If golf writers need my ideas on Tiger, please ask me immediately, somewhat than taking a quote from an interview out of context.”
Woods, whose final main title got here in The Masters in 2019, is on observe to compete in all 4 majors in the identical season for the primary time since that gorgeous success at Augusta.
However the three-time British Open winner has lacked competitiveness in 2024, ending sixtieth at Augusta in April earlier than lacking the reduce on the US Open and US PGA.
After enjoying alongside Justin Thomas and Max Homa on Monday, the 48-year-old mentioned he’s feeling the most effective he has felt in 12 months and believes he’s greater than able to turning again the clock.
“I’ve been coaching quite a bit higher,” he mentioned.
“We’ve been busting it fairly arduous within the fitness center, which has been good. (My) physique’s been feeling higher to have the ability to do such issues, and it interprets (in me) with the ability to hit the ball higher.
“(I) can’t fairly keep on the market throughout a apply session so long as I’d like, however I’m in a position to do some issues that I haven’t accomplished all 12 months, which is sweet.”
Woods, who completed in a tie for twenty fourth in 1997 after which posted a prime 10 inserting in 2004 at Royal Troon, believes hyperlinks golf fits extra mature golfers with expertise shaping and working pictures.
“I believe the older you get, the much less you may carry the golf ball. However over right here, you may run the golf ball 100 yards (91 metres) for those who get the correct wind and the correct trajectory,” he mentioned.
It negates considerably the excessive launch circumstances that a lot of the occasions you see on the Tour that these days populate the world.
“Right here it’s a bit of bit completely different. You possibly can play on the bottom. You possibly can burn it on the bottom with a 1-iron, 2-iron, 3-wood, no matter, even drivers, and simply flight it and get a bunch of run.
“I believe that’s one of many the reason why you see older champions up there on the board, as a result of they’re not compelled to have to hold the ball 320 yards (292 metres) any extra.”