The start of Open Championship week at Royal Troon has already sparked into life, but not for the reason you might have expected.
A sharp exchange of opinions between former World No.2 Colin Montgomerie and 15-time Major Champion Tiger Woods kicked off what is sure to be a blockbuster week, but the debate got me thinking about the value of allowing past champions to retain their spots in the field beyond the point of realistic contention.
With so much exciting and emerging talent coming through in the game of golf, I asked myself, should past Open Champions keep playing until they are 60? Quite simply, the answer is no… and the data backs it up!
What Did Colin Montgomerie And Tiger Woods Say Earlier This Week?
Former World No.2 Colin Montgomerie raised a few eyebrows with his comments about Tiger Woods, suggesting that the 15-time Major Winner “didn’t seem to enjoy a single shot” at the US Open last month.
The Scotsman added “What the hell is he doing?’ He’s coming to Troon and he won’t enjoy it there, either. Aren’t we there? [retirement] I’d have thought we were past there.
“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.”
In his press conference, Tiger Woods responded to Colin Montgomerie’s comments about him playing at Royal Troon
(Image credit: Getty Images)
In what appeared to be a firm retort, Tiger Woods responded by saying “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,”
“So when I get to his age, I get to still make that decision, where he doesn’t. I’ll play as long as I can play and feel like I can still win the event,”
Colin Montgomerie later explained that his comments had been taken “out of context”, but in my opinion, it did pose a very fair question that many of us feel strongly about.
It’s Time For Change… And The Answer Seems Obvious
It’s important to note that from this year (at Royal Troon) winners will only be exempt until they are 55, but my argument would be the five year exemption cut which has been implemented for future champions is still not going far enough. After looking back through the data of…
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