Golf fans were in for a rude shock when the PGA Tour announced the 144-man field for the Players Championship. After the Arnold Palmer Invitational snub, most fans and analysts expected Tiger Woods to tee up at the Players Championship. And yet, the former World No. 1’s name was missing.
Woods has graced the Bermuda greens at TPC Sawgrass 19 times in the past, winning twice. In his last outing in 2019, the Hall of Famer tied for the 30th spot. Will we see him at Sawgrass next year? The chances are highly unlikely. Unless, of course, the former World No. 1 shocks the world by conjuring magic on the greens this year.
How can Tiger Woods qualify for the Players Championship?
The Players Championship has multiple exemption categories, but none look easy for Tiger Woods. The veteran golfer was exempt this year thanks to his 2019 Masters triumph. However, that was only for five years. Next year, Woods has to rely on a victory at any of this year’s majors or hunt for silverware next season prior to the Players Championship.
Another way is to win a PGA Tour event this year as well. Either that, or Woods has to qualify via the FedEx Cup route. The Players offers a spot to the top 70 golfers on the FedEx Cup through the playoffs and the top 125 on last season’s points list through the FedEx Cup fall. Tiger Woods has yet to find a place as he hasn’t completed the full four rounds yet. The other way is a tougher climb.
The 48-year-old has to float above the top 50 in the world ranking. Currently, the former World No. 1 ranks at 916. While the veteran golfer did make a massive jump after the Hero World Challenge, it’d take consecutive top spots at his next outings to come within the top 50. Does that also jeopardize his major hopes?
Exploring Woods’s majors exemptions
Tiger Woods’s 2019 Masters triumph has put him in an envious position. Woods is qualified for the PGA Championship and the Open Championship, but not for the U.S. Open. The latter, even Woods wasn’t well aware of. As first pointed out by Sports Illustrated’s Bob Harig, this is the first time since 1996 that the 48-year-old is not automatically qualified for all the majors. That, however, can soon change.
It appears that a special invite from the USGA is not far away. Most recently, the US Open host announced Tiger Woods as the recipient of this year’s Bob Jones Award. Woods is a nine-time USGA champion with three U.S. Junior Amateur victories, three consecutive U.S. Amateur titles, and three U.S. Open triumphs.
The Hall of Famer will receive the award at Pinehurst No. 2 during the U.S. Open. It looks extremely unlikely that Tiger Woods won’t be granted an exemption despite being invited to receive the award. In 2021, the USGA extended a special invitation to Phil Mickelson. Earlier, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Tom Watson, and Arnold Palmer received such special invites.
