The PGA Tour Policy Board authorized a new “Lifetime Achievement exemption category” designed especially for Tiger Woods, granting him entrance to all Signature Events.
The eight flagship events, which feature large prize money and fewer entries apiece, have generated a lot of debate in the first year of the PGA Tour’s new calendar. Which players can play in the top tournaments is one of the numerous concerns that golf fans have brought up during the system’s first season.
Although four exemptions are granted to event sponsors, who can then award them to particular PGA Tour players, these passes are typically awarded to a consistent group of players.
Since the Travelers Championship this week is the season’s last major event, a number of improvements to the flawed system are anticipated to be made in the upcoming months. The most significant modification is a unique exception for Woods, which will become operative in 2025.
Over his illustrious career, Woods has had remarkable success that few players can match. In the process, the 48-year-old has earned over $120 million in lifetime profits in addition to 82 career victories—accomplishments that the Policy Board wished to honor and acknowledge.
Despite the fact that very few, if any, tournament sponsors would have rejected Woods if he had shown interest in participating, he was not previously guaranteed a spot. Due to severe time constraints on the course the past few years and insufficient scores to qualify, the great golfer has been forced to use one of the four exemptions available to sponsors.
Sponsors will now have the opportunity to honor other players they feel deserve a position on the field, since Woods will receive his own exemption to participate in any marquee tournament of his choosing next year. The GREENSHEET newsletter stated, “These exemptions are intended to capture players who are important to the tournament sponsor but who are not otherwise qualified.”
“The PAC supported adding an additional sponsor exemption recognizing Tiger Woods in his own category as a player who has reached an exceptional lifetime achievement threshold of 80+ career wins in order to maximize these spots for the membership and to provide the tournament sponsor optimal flexibility.”
The Policy Board also adopted a proposal that will guarantee each Signature Event has a minimum of 72 participants, so exemptions will be even more in demand the next year. This season, golfers who qualified to compete often reached this mark, but later withdrawals reduced several fields to 68–70 participants. In 2025, this modification will likewise be put into effect.
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