The PGA Tour has announced the creation of a special sponsor exemption specifically for Tiger Woods, acknowledging his "exceptional lifetime achievement." This exemption will allow Woods to participate in the eight prestigious signature events, featuring limited fields, substantial prize money, and significant FedEx Cup points. The decision was communicated to tour members in a memo on Tuesday night.
During today's meeting, PGA Tour Policy Board APPROVED a new Lifetime Achievement exemption category for Tiger Woods to access Signature Events.
— Sean Zak (@Sean_Zak) June 19, 2024
It also approved a 72-player minimum for Signature Events, with an alternate list to maintain that number in the event of a WD. Both… https://t.co/qYGxCAeEMl
A Special Category for Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods, a 15-time major champion and winner of 82 PGA Tour events, has faced significant challenges in recent years, particularly following severe injuries from a car accident in February 2021. Despite these setbacks, Woods' influence and contributions to the sport remain unparalleled. Recognizing this, the PGA Tour policy board approved the special exemption during a joint meeting with the PGA Tour Enterprises board of directors in Hartford, Connecticut. "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 tour's memo stated.
The exemption grants Woods the opportunity to compete in the season’s eight signature events, which include The Sentry, AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Genesis Invitational, Arnold Palmer Invitational, RBC Heritage, Wells Fargo Championship, Memorial Tournament, and the Travelers Championship. Normally, Woods would not qualify for these events due to his limited participation in recent seasons. The policy board is also considering the implementation of a 36-hole cut for these signature events, a feature currently present only in the Genesis Invitational, Arnold Palmer Invitational, and the Memorial Tournament. The tour said it would also develop an alternate list that would ensure that each of the signature events had a field of 72 players. The Travelers Championship has only 71 players after Rory McIlroy withdrew Monday.