Report: PGA Tour Policy Board exploring special exemption for Tiger Woods into signature events

Tiger Woods is set to participate in the 2024 U.S. Open on a special exemption, a testament to his illustrious career which includes three U.S. Open victories, nine USGA titles, and 82 PGA Tour wins. This exemption is seen as a fitting recognition for Woods, who has a storied legacy in golf. A similar exemption could soon be a possibility for him on the PGA Tour, as the PGA Tour Policy Board is scheduled to review a proposal next week during the Travelers Championship that would allow Woods to enter the tour’s $20 million signature events.

Despite holding lifetime membership on the PGA Tour due to his impressive career victories, Woods is not automatically eligible to compete in the signature events, which have their own set of qualification criteria. Presently, the only way for Woods to participate in these events is through one of the four available sponsor exemptions for each event, such as the one he received to play in the Genesis Invitational in February. These exemptions have become highly coveted and somewhat contentious, as numerous prominent players who do not qualify for the signature events have sought entry through them.

The proposal under review suggests that instead of using one of the four existing sponsor exemptions, Woods would be granted a unique exemption category, acknowledging his extraordinary achievement of more than 80 career wins and his 15 major championships. The information was reported by Golf.com’s Sean Zak, who referenced the PGA Tour’s Greensheet newsletter. This newsletter, which updates PGA Tour players on tour developments, indicated that the Player Advisory Council (PAC) had supported the idea of an additional sponsor exemption specifically for Woods, discussing it during their May 21 meeting at the Charles Schwab Challenge.

The Greensheet noted that the original sponsor exemptions were designed to accommodate players important to tournament sponsors but not otherwise qualified for the events. To make the most of these slots and offer flexibility to sponsors, the PAC supported the addition of a special exemption recognizing Tiger Woods as a player who has reached a significant career milestone.

Woods is one of the six players on the 11-member PGA Tour Policy Board, and it remains unclear if he will recuse himself from voting on this exemption. The discussion about Woods’ exemption is expected to be part of a larger conversation regarding the future structure of the tour’s signature events in 2025.

Another unanswered question is how frequently Woods might utilize this exemption in the future. Since his serious car accident in 2021, Woods has participated in only eight official PGA Tour events, with only two of those being non-major tournaments. Although Woods expressed hope at the end of 2023 to play more regularly in 2024, that plan has not materialized. He withdrew from the Genesis Invitational in February during the second round due to illness and has since made the cut at the Masters in April, finishing 60th, but missed the cut at the PGA Championship in May.