Oklahoma Alum Aman Gupta Claims Tiger Woods’s Career Is Wrapping Up Amid Big Cat’s PGA Tour Absence

Tiger Woods’ last professional win was back in 2019. That seems surprising, right? Woods’s win at Augusta National was in 2019 when he made an improbable final-round charge to claim his fifth green jacket. However, with his latest surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon, Woods is sitting out this year’s Masters, focusing on rest and rehab. ESPN golf analyst, Curtis Strange expressed hope that Woods would recover and return to the course, saying, “I hope he gets back to where he can play… We don’t even know if he can play ever again.” 

The bigger question now is whether Tiger Woods will ever play competitively again on the PGA Tour. ESPN’s Andy North believes that Woods has already achieved everything he needed to and doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone. North added that if Woods were to announce his retirement from competitive golf, it would be met with understanding. While Tiger Woods may still hold out hope for a comeback, North doubts that he’ll be able to compete at the same level as before, saying, “Deep in my heart, I don’t think so.” Well, there is one more person who agrees with North’s comments.

Speaking with Essentially Sports’s Andrew Whiteman, Gupta expressed his doubts about Woods’s ability to win on the PGA Tour again. “I don’t know. It’s just tough with everything. You can never count him out, just cause he has done it so many times when people have counted him out. I don’t know. Just after–after everything he’s been through and I just think it’s…it’s kind of victory lap time, in the sense,” Gupta said. He acknowledged the numerous challenges Woods has faced in recent years. Despite his reservations, Gupta is hesitant to count Woods out entirely. The reason being his history of defying expectations and achieving greatness when others thought it was impossible.

Gupta believes that Woods’s best days may be behind him and that it might be time for a victory lap. However, he’s also quick to acknowledge Woods’s mental toughness and ability to surprise fans. “And, as I’ve said, mentally, he’s so good that you know, one of these days, it could just… it could just happen. I honestly hope that it gets good for the game if he does, but I feel like it’s–you know the sun is setting on that, unfortunately at this point,” Gupta said. While he hopes that a Woods win would be a boon for the game, he fears that the sun may be setting on his competitive career.

Gupta’s assessment is a nuanced one, reflecting both his admiration for Woods’s achievements and his recognition of the challenges that lie ahead. But that does not mean there aren’t any golfers who think Woods has what it takes to win another trophy.

Colin Montgomerie believes Tiger Woods should ‘Retire’

Colin Montgomerie thinks it’s time for Tiger Woods to hang up his golf shoes. The European Ryder Cup legend believes Woods’s game is a shadow of its former self. He suggests Woods should stop playing competitively. “Aren’t we there? I’d have thought we were past there,” Montgomerie said in 2024 when asked if Woods should retire. He acknowledges that Woods still thinks he can win, but feels that his recent performances suggest otherwise. Montgomerie pointed to Woods’s struggles in recent majors, including missing the cut at the U.S. Open and barely making the cut at the Masters.

Montgomerie’s comments come as Woods prepares to play in the British Open at Royal Troon. The 48-year-old has been hinting at the end of his career due to injuries. It is also due to a car crash that nearly cost him his leg. While Woods hopes to continue playing in select events, Montgomerie believes it’s time for him to stop.

“I hope people remember Tiger as Tiger was, the passion and the charismatic aura around him. There is none of that now,” Montgomerie said. He thinks Woods’s recent performances have been lacking passion and enjoyment, and that it’s time for him to move on. Montgomerie’s own experiences, including a near-miss at the U.S. Open in 2006, have given him a unique perspective on the challenges of competing at a high level.