GOAT Tiger Woods 'honored' to receive special exemption for 124th U.S. Open

This year also saw Tiger Woods‘ five-year exemption which he got from winning the Masters in 2019 expire. Unlike the Masters, where the winner gets a lifetime exemption, the U.S. Open only gives winning golfer a 10-year exemption. Woods, a three-time U.S Open winner, last won the event in 2008 meaning his exemption had expired a long time ago.

In a statement released by Woods, the 48-year-old claimed he was “excited” to compete at the Pinehurst, a venue that means a lot to the game.

The U.S. Open, our national championship, is a truly special event for our game and one that has helped define my career. I’m honored to receive this exemption and could not be more excited for the opportunity to compete in this year’s U.S. Open, especially at Pinehurst, a venue that means so much to the game. Tiger Woods said in a statement.

This will also mark Woods’ first appearance in this major championship since 2020. During the event at the Winged Foot, he ended up missing the cut.

USGA’s chief championships officer John Bodenhamer comments on giving special exemption to Tiger Woods

The United States Golf Association (USGA) does not always hand out special exemption to players. In their long history, they have given special exemption only to some of the big names in golf while last doing so in 2021 for Phil Mickelson. The USGA’s chief championships officer John Bodenhamer later commented on this and explained why they gave a special exemption to Tiger Woods.

As per Bodenhamer, the story of this tournament cannot be written without Woods. He would go on to recall Woods’ previous triumphs at this event and explained how much his accomplishments means to the game of golf.

The story of the U.S. Open could not be written without Tiger Woods. From his 15-stroke victory at Pebble Beach in 2000 to his inspiring win on a broken leg at Torrey Pines in 2008, this championship is simply better when Tiger is in the field, and his accomplishments in the game undoubtedly made this an easy decision for our special exemption committee. John Bodenhamer said in a statement.

The interesting thing now would be to see how Woods performs in this event. After withdrawing from the Genesis Invitational, he made his return at The Masters at the Augusta National.

After making a 24th consecutive cut, he was down with some pain again. Despite that setback, he was able to complete the full 72-holes and ended up finishing in last place after shooting a total score of 16-over.