Xander Schauffele sends ‘selfish’ retirement message to Tiger Woods after brutal verdict
Tiger Woods was told to retire by Colin Montgomerie ahead of The Open but Xander Schauffele has ideas of his own on the matter
Xander Schauffele has robustly refuted Colin Montgomerie's suggestion that Tiger Woods should hang up his clubs. Golf great Woods, 48, made a swift exit from The Open this weekend after carding 14-over-par across the first two rounds.
Yet before Woods had even got underway at Royal Troon, Schauffele had already dismissed Montgomerie's remarks that Woods ought to retire from the sport.
Montgomerie, 61, faced backlash after telling The Times: "I hope people remember Tiger as Tiger was, the passion and the charismatic aura around him. There is none of that now. At Pinehurst, he did not seem to enjoy a single shot, and you think, 'What the hell is he doing?' He's coming to Troon and he won't enjoy it there either."
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The senior star didn't hold back in expressing his belief that Woods' time should be up, but Olympic gold medal-winner Schauffele sees things differently. Speaking to reporters in Troon on Tuesday (via The Mirror), the 2024 PGA Championship victor expressed his desire for Woods to continue gracing greens and emphasised the positive impact Woods has on the sport.
"Whether it's his honest opinion or not, the game of golf needs him [Woods], needs him desperately," said Schauffele. "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."
Woods' title prospects have been affected by injuries he suffered from a life-threatening car crash in 2021. The 15-time major champion hit back at Montgomerie's comments with characteristic vigour and pointed out Montgomerie's lack of perspective given he never won a major.
"Well, as a past champion, I'm exempt until I'm 60," he said before The Open. "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. So, when I get to his age, I get to still make that decision, where he doesn't."
Despite confessing he will take a break from golf following a disappointing performance in Scotland, Woods is not ready to step away from the sport just yet. And Schauffele, 30, will be reassured by Woods' undiminished enthusiasm for the game.
Montgomerie later sought to clarify his comments and insisted they were misconstrued. He expressed his hopes for Woods to clinch a fourth Open victory in Troon, though he fell far short.
While his appearances on the course have become rarer, Woods remains a prominent figure off it and was a staunch PGA Tour defender against the rise of LIV Golf. His leadership qualities suggest he will continue to shape the future of golf even after his competitive days are over.
