Tiger Woods: PGA Tour hands American lifetime achievement exemption

Tiger Woods has been awarded a lifetime exemption by the PGA Tour to enter all of its designated ‘signature’ events.

Woods has won 82 PGA Tour titles including 15 majors, but the 48-year-old has struggled with injuries over recent years.

On Tuesday, the PGA’s policy board voted to grant Woods a special exemption to play the eight lucrative tournaments, which do not include majors.

“An additional sponsor exemption will be created to recognise Tiger Woods in his own category as a player who has reached an exceptional lifetime achievement threshold of 80-plus career wins,” a PGA Tour memo said.

The American is tied with Sam Snead for the most overall victories on the tour, while his 15 wins in majors is second on the all-time list to Jack Nicklaus (18).

Woods has featured in just nine tournaments since a car crash in February 2021, which left him requiring surgery after suffering serious leg injuries.

In his four appearances in PGA Tour competitions this year, Woods has only made the cut once – finishing 60th at the Masters.

He withdrew in the middle of the Genesis Invitational due to illness and missed the cut at the PGA Championship and last week’s US Open.

Woods is expected to play at the Open Championship in Scotland in July.