PINEHURST, NORTH CAROLINA | As the sun slipped behind the pine trees on Friday night, Tiger Woods was questioned about a subject of considerable concern to himself, namely his retirement. Now 48, he had not reached the last two rounds of the U.S. Open at Pinehurst in this delectable part of North Carolina as he had failed to complete four rounds at last month’s PGA Championship at Valhalla in Louisville, Kentucky. In fact, Woods, perhaps the greatest golfer of all time, had not finished 20th or better in any major championship for five years, not since April 2019 when he won his fifth Masters and his 15th major championship.
Woods listened to the question impassively. Then he said: "As for whether this is my last Open or U.S. Open or not, that may or may not be." He followed this noncommittal sentence with one of his trademark look-at-me-if-you-dare stares that brooked no further questions. It was as final as could be.
The end of the questions marked the start of the speculation, however. People began to think what was once unthinkable: Was this the time for Woods to end his exceptional career, one that has latterly been dogged by injuries? If not, when would it be time?
Surely Woods wouldn’t conclude his play in the national Open of his country in such a downbeat manner, would he? Surely he would want it to be orchestrated so that spectators who have flocked to him for three decades, regardless of the course or continent on which he was playing, would have the chance to show their appreciation of his remarkable golfing talents, wouldn’t he? And surely we will see him at Royal Troon in the Open Championship in a little over one month, won’t we? We will, surely?
Last week I asked three golfing friends who live in the U.S. whether Tiger should retire. All three replied, “Yes.”
The first respondent said: "He has nothing left to prove, and his body has been through so much. I know he’s very competitive and as an athlete you think you can outsmart Father Time, but as we know it just doesn’t work that way. The last thing he needs is for his fans and media to start feeling sorry for him by continually missing cuts. He’s better than that.
"The current crop of young guns … they all grew up idolizing Tiger, and now they want ‘a piece of him,’ " this respondent continued. "You can’t compete with these kids at 48 years of age and only play the majors. Tiger has given his all. He is in a position to do so much for the game. Again, he’s got nothing to prove."
My two other correspondents expressed the same or similar view in different ways. One wrote: "Don’t think Tiger should play in any more tournaments. He struggles, there’s a painful look on his face and he limps. Golf won’t suffer if he’s not on TV."
The third wrote: "As for Tiger, I think if he doesn’t think he can play better he’ll stop. Too much pride and he knows well about athletes playing past their prime. He hates the thought of just being an entertainer!"
Retirements? I’ve seen a few.
Jack Nicklaus played his last Open in 2005 at St Andrews, where he had been made an honorary citizen in 2022, only the third American after Robert Tyre “Bobby” Jones, the amateur, and Benjamin Franklin. Spectators stretched down the right-hand side of the first fairway and up the right-hand side of the 18th, and some hung out of buildings overlooking the course as Nicklaus, wearing a red short-sleeved sweater, white shirt and shoes and black trousers, stood on the Swilcan Bridge, right arm upraised in gracious acknowledgement. A farewell worthy of a great man and great golfer. The man who had shown us how to play golf was now demonstrating how to leave golf.
Arnold Palmer formally retired from tournament golf on 13 October 2006 when he withdrew after four holes of a Champions Tour event. But the Friday of the 1994 U.S. Open held at Oakmont outside Pittsburgh, where Palmer had been given a special exemption to play in front of his fellow western Pennsylvanians, was his farewell to golf at the highest level. As he walked up the 18th fairway, with playing competitor Rocco Mediate standing well back, Palmer was given a two-minute standing ovation. His post-round press conference was often interrupted because he kept having to dab a towel to his eyes to stanch the tears.
An imperishable memory of Palmer is not of him causing women to swoon in the gallery, a characteristic he shared with Seve Ballesteros, but being interviewed in a room at the Old Course hotel in St Andrews in 2015. A crown stamped on the back of the chair on which he was sitting contributed to the impression that he was a king holding court with some of his courtiers. His red cardigan with the cuffs rolled back set off his leathery complexion tanned by so many hours in the sun. That day, little more than one year before he died, he talked. My, how he talked. It was a privilege to listen to him.
The retirement of Ballesteros came in July 2007 and was announced in a room in a golf club adjoining Carnoustie where the Open that Pádraig Harrington would win was taking place. As the sad news was dispensed to those present, Ballesteros sat behind a table looking gloomy.
He appeared shrunken and slightly hollow-eyed, far from the powerful figure he had been. There was sadness on hearing the announcement of the most thrilling golfer ever to have emerged from Europe but also relief that the anguish he had been enduring on the golf course caused by erratic golf – and those of us watching him had endured too – was to be ended. He died of brain cancer in 2011.
I thought that Nicklaus was the greatest golfer of all time. Not so much for his 18 major championships as the total of 68 finishes of seventh or better in major championships, 19 of which were second places.
I revered Ballesteros and thought of him often on the golf course in the usually vain hope that the thought would bring me some inspiration. "What would Seve do here?" I often asked myself. Ballesteros had difficulty in pronouncing the letter "J." So, to him I was "Hohn," which was fine by me, and Jack, as in Nicklaus, was "Hack," which may not have been so well received.
And Woods, the greatest competitor I have ever seen? Does he have enough time to get in the rounds that will sharpen his game before Troon? Does he have the will? Will his body withstand much more intense golf? What he needs is competition. He has played only four competitive rounds since the Masters two months ago, and he still missed the cut at Pinehurst by only two strokes.
Perhaps Woods should announce now that he will retire from the Open at Troon. That way in the coming weeks arrangements can be made to accord him the allegiance he deserves as a three-time Open champion, as Nicklaus and Ballesteros were. That way he could leave the game he has graced with a bang not a whimper.
Is that a heretical thought?
E-MAIL JOHN
Top: Tiger Woods hasn't finished 20th or better in a major championship in more than five years.
Jared C. Tilton, Getty Images