Tiger Woods admitted that his appearance at the 2024 US Open ‘may’ prove to be the last of his glittering career
– but it has previously been hinted that commercial commitments are staving off his retirement.
The American hero last won a major back in 2019 at the Masters but has struggled to regain his magic touch after his single-person car crash back in February 2021.
Since then, the 48-year-old has been plagued by injuries and has only managed 10 competitive starts across a stop-start last three years.
His latest outing came at Pinehurst this week, where he missed the cut on Friday, after starting things off with a four-over-par 74 in the opening round in North Carolina.
However, the 15-time major victor was finished seven-over for the tournament after his second round showing meant he missed the cut by two.
Reflecting on his performance in the US Open, Woods admitted: “It’s one of those things where in order to win a golf tournament, you have to make the cut. I can’t win the tournament from where I’m at, so it certainly is frustrating. I thought I played well enough to be up there in contention. It just didn’t work out. As far as my last Open Championship or U.S. Open Championship, I don’t know what that is. It may or may not be.”
It appears that retirement may not be an option for the veteran, however, with previous comments from an insider having intimated that his commercial interests are making it impossible for him to do so. A source told the Daily Mail in February: “If Tiger could retire, he would. His body is beat up but, for his brand, he still has to make and keep appearances and make a go at it. After his car accident, he thought that was it.
“There was almost an amputation in play, so to be back even at all is sort of a miracle. Now with this recent illness that had him bow out of the latest tournament, that is unfortunate, but he will be back because he has to support his new brand Sun Day Red, and everything else in his world. He’ll be back even though he would love nothing more than to retire.”
Despite these claims, Woods has always maintained that he is still enjoying the game, saying earlier this year: “I still love competing, I love playing, I love being a part of the game of golf. This is the game of a lifetime and I don’t ever want to stop playing. I love being able to compete, I love being able to enjoy different conversations from across time… I love that and I don’t ever want to lose that.”
Meanwhile, Colin Montgomerie expressed his regret that Woods did not retire from the sport previously, as he told TalkSport: “I just wish Tiger had gone after he waved on that Swilken bridge at St Andrews a couple of years ago. He’s kept going, he thinks he can do it but it’s quite obvious now physically and mentally, that he can’t. He’s competing once a month and it’s not enough.
“You can’t play once a month and hope to contend with these guys now. He finished the tournament 82-77. t’s not close, obviously and I wish he’d waved goodbye to the golfing word a couple of years ago. He did wave goodbye at the end when he took his hat off.”
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Source: USA Today
