Tiger Woods has been granted a special exemption to compete in the 124th U.S. Open, which will be held from June 13-16 at Pinehurst No. 2. The USGA offered the exemption to Woods, a three-time U.S. Open champion, due to his previous exemption from his 2019 Masters win having expired. This marks the first special exemption offered by the USGA since Phil Mickelson in 2021.
Woods expressed his excitement and gratitude for the opportunity to compete in this year’s U.S. Open, calling it a truly special event in his career. With nine total USGA titles, Woods is set to make his 23rd career appearance in the national championship.
John Bodenhamer, the USGA Chief Championships Officer, acknowledged Woods’ significant contributions to the U.S. Open, from his dominating victory at Pebble Beach in 2000 to his inspiring win at Torrey Pines in 2008.
Bodenhamer stated that the championship is enriched when Woods is in the field, making the decision to grant him a special exemption an easy one for the committee.
Despite struggling with health issues, Woods is determined to compete in this year’s U.S. Open and prove himself once again on one of golf’s biggest stages.
The last time Woods finished in the top-10 at Pinehurst No. 2 was during the 2015 U.S. Open where he tied for eighth place.
In recent years, Woods has been working hard on improving his game and has had some successes on smaller tours but has not yet been able to break through on the PGA Tour.
Despite these challenges, Woods remains one of golf’s greatest players and is always looking forward to competing at any level of play.
