With Tiger Woods now 49 years old, one former golf figure with ties to Rory McIlroy has admitted his concern about the 15-time major winner.
Tiger Woods has recently been sent a warning (Image: AP)
Rory McIlroy’s former agent Andrew Chandler has pleaded for Tiger Woods to retire from golf and join the senior tour. At the age of 49, the 15-time major winner has offered no indication that he will be leaving the sport for good any time soon.
Woods recently endured a difficult experience when his Jupiter Links team – which he captains alongside Max Homa, Tom Kim, and Kevin Kisner – faced a humiliating 12-1 defeat at the hands of Los Angeles in the new ‘Tomorrow’s Golf League’ tournament.
The golfing great is used to success, but he finished his 2024 campaign in July when he finished 149th in a playing field of 154 at The Open Championship. After looking back on Woods’ disappointing campaign last year and the display his side put up in Florida at the TGL, Chandler – known as ‘Chubby’ in the golf world – urged Woods to retire.
Speaking to Vision4Sport, Chandler said: “Two of the players on Tiger’s TGL team are retired – Kisner and Tiger don’t play. If I were a betting man, that would have been the best bet in the world because they had half a team. I’m not convinced by this TGL.
“I think Tiger would be better stepping away completely for two to three years and then start playing again, if he wanted to. On the seniors. Play about eight seniors tournaments a year. The ones he likes. There’s a theory that the British Seniors Open is going to be on at St Andrews when Tiger’s 50.
“I don’t know if Tiger will even be playing in the Majors in 2025, but does it even make a difference anymore? Do I want to see him down the field? No, I don’t. So if he plays in the Majors, I hope he’s at least semi competitive. Not like how he is at the moment.
“The poor lad. Did you see his right leg? He’s shattered. He’s not in great shape. I don’t know what’s in his head. If he stepped away and just watched his boy grow up and do all the things you do, if he then came back he’d then be far enough away from the real Majors to be teed up as an elder statesman.”
Woods’ Jupiter Links’ side had a hard time in Florida recently (Image: AP)
This comes following Woods’ withdrawal from the Genesis Invitational following the passing of his mother, Kultida, who died aged 80. Yet, he has expressed previously that retirement might not come until he’s 60.
Chandler suggested that Woods should consider the paths of golfing greats like Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. He added: “I used to love watching Palmer and Nicklaus playing the Open when they were gone 60 because it was real respect, wasn’t it?
“They stood on the smoking bridge and all that. That should be Tiger! I’m not doing him down. Stewart Cink nearly won the Open but Stewart Cink was fit. Tiger’s not fit. Tiger’s broken.
“To be doing all that with a broken body I think it’s very tough. You’ve got an awful lot of kids now watching a broken Tiger and that’s not how he should be remembered. It’s all very sad, knowing his record and knowing he’s not competitive. That comeback win in 2019, that was his moment. That was it. All Tiger is doing now is damaging his legacy.”
