Colin Montgomerie was the European Tour’s answer to Tiger Woods even before Mr. T turned pro. The Scottish legend dominated the continent and won 31 titles along the way. His incredible record in Europe made everyone think he would destroy the American League. To everyone’s surprise, in the 142 appearances he made, Montgomerie won 0 titles. That doesn’t mean he didn’t come close. The Scottish legend had 6 runner-ups to his name, 5 of which were in majors. Yet he failed to win any of them. Like any other champion golfer, he was frustrated with Woods. And when the latter was not performing well, Montgomerie didn’t shy throwing shade at him. However, he seems to have had a change of tune since then.

Just a few hours ago, he sat down with the crew of Cookie Jar Golf, discussing the impact of Woods during his prime. Commending his incredible dedication and fitness to keep competing, Montgomerie said, “Tiger changed the way golfers thought about themselves as athletes. You can never say that (Jack) Nicholas or (Arnold) Palmer were the best athletes in the world, but you could with Tiger Woods.” Woods was famously known for pushing his physical limits to reach the next level of golf. His fitness routines were so harsh that Michelle Wie West paid the price for them with injuries and early retirement by following them. The 82-time PGA Tour champion has struggled with injuries of his own that forced him off the course.

“They are fitter, stronger, bigger. The athletes, the Brooks Koepkas, the Bryson DeChambeaus, real athletes that can do a lot more than just play golf. Tiger changed that. He changed the way we had to think about what we did,” Montgomerie said, further amplifying the impact of Woods on the current generation of golfers. Nearly all the active players he mentioned idolize Tiger and have grown up watching him write golf history. Some of the fittest players on the course today, like DeChambeau, Koepka, Rory McIlroy, Collin Morikawa, and Ludvig Aberg, were inspired by Woods, and they have openly confessed that. However, each of them has found their own path of fitness to compete at the same level as the 15-time major winner.

It was not just fitness that Tiger Woods made popular. As Colin expressed, “Youngsters were wearing the Nike hats, the whole Nike thing blew from there as well. Golf became cool. People were playing golf all over the world, wanting to be the next Tiger Woods. And it was great for golf. It has sustained, to be honest. We’re talking ’97, we’re talking 30 years ago now, almost, and it has sustained to this day.” As the Scottish legend admitted, Woods made golf cool. So much so that his impact has lasted long after his prime. In fact, Woods still moves the needle enough to be one of the most impactful individuals in golf.

From wanting him to retire due to bad form to confessing that he made the sport what it is today, Montgomerie has certainly come a long way. Well, the 62-year-old may have a moment of clarity after the harsh comments he made about his rival not so long ago. But it may also be because of the furious reaction Tiger Woods had to Colin Montgomerie’s jab last year. Let’s see how Mr. T reacted.

Tiger Woods left fuming with Colin Montgomerie’s comments

Colin Montgomerie saw the opportunity to bash Tiger Woods about his bad form after the latter missed the cuts in the PGA Championship and U.S. Open in 2024. He suggested that the 15-time major winner should consider retiring from golf, a statement he later retracted from saying that it was taken out of context. Nevertheless, the damage had already been done, and Woods was furious about it.

In the press conference for the 2024 Open Championship, he said, “I’ll play as long as I can play, and I feel like I can still win the event. As a past champion, I’m exempt until I’m 60. Colin’s not. He’s not a past champion, so he’s not exempt. So he doesn’t get the opportunity to make that decision. I do. When I get to his age, I get to still make that decision, whereas he doesn’t.” Montgomerie’s comment clearly triggered Woods. However, his response made it clear that he was not looking to retire anytime soon. Hopefully, this still stands true past 2025 as Tiger Woods turns 50 on December 30 and is eligible for the Champions Tour.