Jay Monahan explains reason behind exempting Tiger Woods into all signature PGAT events
The PGA Tour policy board recently voted on a historic decision, giving Tiger Woods a lifetime exemption into all the signature events. The 'exception lifetime achievement' is a new exemption category created under all signature events, and Woods will be the very first recipient.
The board took the decision to award an exemption to Tiger Woods owing to his impressive 82 wins on the PGA Tour over the course of his career. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan explained the reason why Woods will be receiving this exemption. He said (via NUCLR Golf):
“Well, listen, I think it was important to our membership, it's something we talked about with the PAC, it was important to our player directors, it was important to our board, it's important to me because, you know, the man, as the exemption says, has won more than 80 events."
Monahan credits Woods with increasing awareness about the sport. The PGAT wanted to celebrate the 15-time Major champion's impact on the world of golf.
"I think being able to give him the opportunity to compete in these events -- any event he's ever played in he's made it bigger, he's made it better, he's drawn more eyeballs to it, and I think just as an organization we wanted to celebrate his exceptionalism in that manner.”
There are eight signature events on the PGA Tour this year, each having a limited field of approximately 70 golfers.
Special exemption category to be created for Tiger Woods
There will be a special exemption category created for Tiger Woods that will aim to encapsulate his contribution to golf. In a recent memo published by ESPN, the PGA Tour policy board stated:
"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."
Woods has so far competed in only one signature event, the Genesis Invitational. However, he withdrew from the event on the second day, citing flu-like symptoms.
Woods has competed in all of the Major tournaments so far. He made the cut at the 2024 Masters, the first Major of the year. With a score of +5, he finished in 60th place. Tiger Woods failed to make the cut at the PGA Championship and the US Open.
Woods has not been active on the PGA Tour ever since he suffered a fatal car crash that left him with a leg injury in 2021. Last year, he underwent another surgery on his ankle before undergoing rehab for the remainder of the season. Woods has so far been able to successfully play three out of the four events he has participated in, as his injury is now on the mend.