The PGA Tour Policy Board has approved a new “Lifetime Achievement exemption category” that will allow Tiger Woods to compete in all eight of next season’s signature events
Tiger Woods has been granted access to all Signature Events after the PGA Tour Policy Board approved a new “Lifetime Achievement exemption category” created specifically for him.
The eight signature events – which each possess hefty prize purses and reduced fields – have been a topic of heated discussion in the inaugural running of the PGA Tour’s new schedule. Among the many issues that golf fans have raised during the system’s debut season is which players are allowed to compete in the premier tournaments.
While tournament sponsors are given four exemptions that they can hand out to specific members of the PGA Tour, more times than not these passes have been given to a recurring list of players.
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With this week’s Travelers Championship marking the final signature event of the season, a flurry of changes to the imperfect system are expected to be implemented in the coming months. Chief among the adjustments is a special exemption for Woods, which will kick into effect in 2025.
Few players come close to the unparalleled success that Woods has achieved over his storied career. The 48-year-old has amassed 82 career wins and over $120 million in lifetime earnings on the course – accomplishments that the Policy Board wanted to honour and recognize.
Though few if any tournament sponsors would’ve turned down Woods had he expressed interest in competing in their event, he previously was not automatically qualified to take part. Since his time on the course has been severely limited over the last couple years and his scores have not been good enough to qualify, the legendary golfer has needed to use one of the four exemptions granted to sponsors.
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Now that Woods will be given his own exemption to partake in any signature event of his choosing next year, sponsors will be able to reward other players who they believe are deserving of a spot in the field. “These exemptions are intended to capture players who are important to the tournament sponsor but who are not otherwise qualified,” the GREENSHEET newsletter explained.
“To maximize these spots for the membership and to provide optimal flexibility for the tournament sponsor, 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.”
Exemptions will be in even higher demand next year, as the Policy Board additionally approved a proposal that will ensure each Signature Event has a minimum of at least 72 players. While this number was frequently reached this season by golfers who qualified to compete, subsequent dropouts caused some fields to dwindle down to 68-70 players. This change will also be implemented in 2025.