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Just a year back, Colin Montgomerie suggested that Tiger Woods should take a leave from the competitive realm of the sport. However, after a year, while the situation still hasn’t changed for Woods for the better in the competitive sphere, the former Scottish golfing icon is seemingly extending an olive branch towards Woods with his recent comments. 

Back then, Montgomerie had said, “I hope people remember Tiger as Tiger was. At Pinehurst, he did not seem to enjoy a single shot, and you think, ‘What the hell is he doing? 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.” 

However, this wasn’t taken by Woods in a good light. 

The 15-time major champion responded unapologetically and added, “Well, as a past champion, I’m exempt until I’m 60. Colin is not. He is not a past champion, so he’s not exempt. So he doesn’t get the opportunity to make that decision. I do. So when I get to his age, I get to still make that decision, where he doesn’t.” And Montgomerie’s recent words show he’s trying to make amends.

When he sat for a conversation with Today’s Golfer, he was asked about who he thinks to be the best European golfer.

“Oh goodness, my word, I mean, if you’re talking about the best players, you’ve got to thinking about major championships, haven’t you?” he said, after deviating from the question a bit.

The 62-year-old Scottish golfing icon then elaborated on why no one in the sport still holds a chance to stand ahead of Woods.

“It’s always a difficult task to rank Tiger Woods against Jack Nicklaus. In my view, Tiger was, and is, the best player that’s ever played the game.

“Now he hasn’t won as many majors as Jack, but the competition was very different when Tiger was playing. All the world events that Tiger did, and all the records that Tiger holds, and with all respect to Jack, I would say that Tiger is the best player that’s ever lived.”

While Colin Montgomerie indeed expressed his heartfelt appreciation for the golfing legend, many may think it’s coming from a place of a conciliatory gesture from him after he had angered Woods with his opinion on his retirement.

Meanwhile, Tiger Woods has long been struggling against back-to-back surgeries. Even just weeks ago, in October 2025, he had to undergo a lumbar disc replacement surgery after he was fighting with pain and discomfort. And now, while he is recovering from his post-surgery impacts, he himself has recently shared how he has also started to start early golfing activities to step back on the fairways as early as possible.

However, while the golfing legend has missed the whole season, another expert, too, echoed a similar opinion a few days back.

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How sports pundit Skip Bayless urged Tiger Woods to hang his clubs

Looking back at the aura and the records of Tiger Woods, there is no saying that he is one of the modern-day golfing legends. Unfortunately, even for such a big name like Woods, time seems to have taken its toll. At the moment, the US golfing legend is taking time off to nurse a back injury. But the dip in form was evident from a year back.

Competing in the Open Championship back in 2024, Woods had a forgettable run, so much so that Skip Bayless asked the icon to retire from professional golf. 

Playing at The Open Championships, the 15-time major champion had quite the nightmare. Failing to make the cut at the Royal Troon, the 48-year-old finished 14-over par after the first couple of days. And this was not something that Bayless took in a good light.

Taking a dig at the golf maestro, the golf journalist stated, “Tiger Woods should quit trying to play in golf’s major championships before he embarrasses himself even worse than he already has.” 

Now, while such a comment came in as a pretty harsh criticism, Woods was not the only big name to falter at the 2024 Open Championship. The likes of Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau, and Tommy Fleetwood, too, bit the dust. On the contrary, Woods himself stated that his playing days are not over yet. Thus, with anticipations rising, fans would want to see if the US golfer can bring back his golden days to the fairway again.