Tiger Woods has been honored with a lifetime exemption by the PGA Tour, granting him entry to all of its designated ‘signature’ events. This special recognition highlights Woods’ extraordinary career achievements and ensures his continued participation in the sport’s most prestigious tournaments.
With an impressive record of 82 PGA Tour titles, including 15 majors, Woods’ career is nothing short of legendary. However, the 48-year-old has faced significant challenges in recent years due to injuries.
On Tuesday, the PGA’s tour policy board made the decision to award Woods this exemption, allowing him to compete in eight lucrative tournaments that are part of the ‘signature’ series, though these do not include the major championships.
“An additional sponsor exemption will be created to recognize Tiger Woods in his own category as a player who has reached an exceptional lifetime achievement threshold of 80-plus career wins,” stated a memo from the PGA Tour.
Woods’ most recent major victory came in 2019 at the Masters. He is currently tied with Sam Snead for the most overall wins on the PGA Tour and ranks second in major wins, trailing only Jack Nicklaus’ 18.
Since a severe car accident in February 2021, which required surgery for serious leg injuries, Woods has participated in only nine tournaments. This year, he has competed in four PGA Tour events, making the cut just once and finishing 60th at the Masters. His attempts at the Genesis Invitational, PGA Championship, and the US Open were marred by illness and missed cuts.
Despite these setbacks, Woods is expected to return to action at the Open Championship in Scotland this July. This lifetime exemption not only honors Woods’ past contributions to golf but also paves the way for future appearances, allowing fans to continue witnessing the legacy of one of the sport’s greatest players.
