Tiger Woods is one of the most iconic and accomplished players in the history of professional golf. And as a result, he is getting some special privileges simply because of who he is.
Typically, players must compete in events throughout the year in order to qualify for the eight signature events on the PGA Tour, which feature limited fields, increased prize money, and FedEx Cup points. But thanks to a decision from the PGA Tour, Tiger Woods has been given some special treatment and will now be allowed to participate in those events without qualifying normally.
On Wednesday, the PGA Tour sent a memo to its members announcing that Woods had been granted a special exemption to allow him to compete in the eight signature events.
“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 memo states, according to ESPN.
As a result of the injuries he sustained during a severe car crash in 2021, Woods has not been playing enough competitive golf to qualify for the eight signature events on his own. In the past three years, he has competed in just nine official PGA Tour events, and the only one that wasn’t a Major Championship was the Genisis Invitational, which he hosts.
Needless to say, it’s obvious that the PGA Tour is giving some preferential treatment to Woods. But after all he has accomplished throughout his career and done for professional golf, they clearly felt that he deserved it.
[ESPN]
