Tiger Woods Gets His Own Exemption Category Into Signature Events

An unofficial rule of the PGA Tour is that if Tiger Woods wants to play in a tournament, organizers will find a way to get him in.

Now, the so-called Tiger exemption is official.

Coming out of a meeting with the PGA Tour Policy Board on Tuesday, a special exemption was created for Woods to enter any signature event he wishes.

Tiger Woods Set for Unprecedented PGA TOUR Exemption

A memo sent to all players read:

“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."

The only non-major Woods has played in recent years is the Genesis Invitational, which is a tournament he hosts at Riviera in Southern California. He competed in that tournament for the past two years under a sponsor’s exemption.

Tiger Woods flirts with an albatross, settles for an eagle at the par-5 1st.

-4 thru 10, Tiger has one of the best rounds going on moving day at The Genesis Invitational. pic.twitter.com/JVerQ27XzM

— Underdog Golf (@Underdog__Golf) February 18, 2023

Woods said at the end of his U.S. Open round on Friday that he plans to play in next month’s Open Championship at Royal Troon but doesn’t have anything else planned for the rest of the season.

Woods said:

"I've only got one more tournament this season. Even if I win the British Open, I don't think I'll be in the [FedEx Cup] playoffs. Just one more event and then I'll come back whenever I come back."

Woods has largely struggled in the majors this year, most recently missing the cut at last week’s U.S. Open, but he has come out of each of his four tournaments this year healthy, which is more than can be said in recent years. Woods finished 45^th at the Genesis in 2023 and was battling near the cut line this year when he withdrew in the second round with flu-like symptoms.

Cover Image via PGA TOUR