Tiger Woods given sponsor exemption for all $20 million Signature Events

During a recent meeting in New York, the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which supports LIV Golf, agreed on several significant points. However, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan emphasized to players that there is still considerable work to be done before reaching a final agreement. Monahan relayed this information in a memo after a joint meeting of the PGA Tour policy board and the PGA Tour Enterprises commercial board, held during the Travelers Championship in Connecticut.

Monahan did not provide specific details but stressed that the main goal is to create “a shared vision for the future of professional golf” that offers the best global opportunities for players. The critical meeting on May 11 included key figures such as Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, and prominent PGA Tour Enterprises board members, including Tiger Woods, Adam Scott, and Rory McIlroy.

In addition to the ongoing discussions, Monahan announced minor adjustments to the PGA Tour’s schedule for 2025. Despite these changes, the revised model, which favors top performers from the previous year, continues to ensure a similar level of player turnover. Notably, the board approved an additional sponsor exemption for the $20 million signature events specifically for Tiger Woods, in recognition of his remarkable career achievement of over 80 wins. Woods, who has played in only four events this year—three majors and his Genesis Invitational at Riviera, where he had to withdraw due to illness—will benefit from this exemption.

The signature events hosted by players, including those at Riviera, Bay Hill, and Memorial, will remain small-field tournaments with cuts. Monahan mentioned that the tour board and the Player Advisory Council are exploring whether all signature events should feature cuts, but no decisions have been made yet.

The board also approved a minimum field size of 72 players for the signature events to address concerns raised this year when fields dropped below 70, as seen at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where a 69-player field resulted in one player, Nick Dunlap, starting alone. The top 50 players in the FedEx Cup standings will be exempt for all $20 million events. This change aims to increase participation in other tournaments, especially early in the season, and provide more opportunities for players with conditional status, such as those ranked 126-150. To further support these players, the board decided that their rankings will not be reshuffled next year until they have had at least three or four opportunities to compete.