'Lifetime achievement' exemption gives Woods entry to top PGA Tour events

The PGA Tour has created a special exemption recognizing Tiger Woods's "exceptional lifetime achievement" that will allow the 15-time major champion entry into the tour's top events.

ESPN, citing a memo to tour members, reported on Wednesday that the PGA Tour policy board approved the special sponsor exemption during a joint meeting with the PGA Tour Enterprises board of directors on Tuesday.

Woods, whose playing schedule has been severely limited since he suffered serious leg injuries in a February 2021 car crash, plays too little now to otherwise qualify for the eight signature events.

But from 2025 he will be welcome in those tournaments, which feature smaller fields, larger purses and bumped up points toward the FedEx Cup playoffs.

"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+ career wins," the memo said, according to ESPN.

With 82 PGA Tour wins, Woods shares the all-time record with Sam Snead.

Despite his physical limitations, the 48-year-old has said he still feels he has more titles in him, although he has played in just nine official PGA Tour events in the past three seasons.

The only non-major he has competed in was the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, which he hosts for the benefit of his charitable foundation.

Woods withdrew in the second round at Riviera this year because of illness. He finished 60th at the Masters and missed the cut at the PGA Championship and the US Open last week at Pinehurst.

Woods said he planned to compete in the Open Championship at Royal Troon in Scotland next month.

He indicated at Pinehurst that he expected it to be his last start of the season.

"I've only got one more tournament this season," he said. "I don't think, even if I win the British Open, I'll be in the playoffs."

Meanwhile, his 15-year-old son, Charlie Woods, earned his way into his first USGA championship on Wednesday, when he posted the leading score among qualifiers for the US Junior Amateur next month at Oakland Hills.

Charlie Woods recovered from a bogey-double bogey start at Eagle Trace Golf Club to finish with a 1-under 71 to medal in his qualifier, one of four players to qualify.

"I didn't play great my first two holes, but I played really good for the last 16. I just told myself not to make any more bogeys or doubles, and I took advantage of some nice birdie looks when I had them," Woods said.

Tiger Woods was 14 when he qualified for his first US Junior, reaching the semifinals. He won his first US Junior Amateur a year later at Bay Hill in 19 holes. Woods senior is the only player to win the US Junior three straight times.

Players have to be under 19 before the championship ends.

The US Junior Amateur runs from July 22-28 at Oakland Hills in the suburbs of Detroit. Charlie Woods will be among 264 players who will go through 36 holes of stroke play on the North and South courses at Oakland Hills to determine which 64 players advance to match play.

Tiger Woods is a nine-time USGA champion - three straight US Junior Amateurs, three straight US Amateurs and three US Open titles.

"The USGA means a lot to me," Charlie Woods said. "I want to win USGA championships and, hopefully, one day win the US Open."

Agencies