15 December 2023 , 11:34
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Tiger Woods will not be automatically entered into all four major fields for the first time since 1996 after losing his exempt status for the 2024 US Open - but the sporting icon still expects to feature at the Pinehurst No. 2 amid his more busy comeback schedule.
Across his illustrious career, Woods has competed in 77 majors and often secured his berth in the field well ahead of time based on his play. However, 2024 will be the first time since the PGA Championship 28 years ago that Woods will not automatically receive entry to a major title.
Not since Woods was an amateur has he not been exempt for a major. The 15-time major champion will need special invitations from the governing bodies to gain entrance to the US Open if he remains outside the Official World Golf Ranking’s top 60 players by spring.
Woods’ monumental win at Augusta in 2019 - the fifth time the 47-year-old won the Masters across his career - earned him a five-year exemption at the US Open. When he won the 2019 Masters, Woods got five years in the U.S. Open. The exemption included that year and ended after last year’s tournament.
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However, it is expected the USGA will grant Woods a special exemption to compete in the tournament in June. Such decisions are fairly common; Phil Mickelson was the last player to benefit from a special invite to the national championship in 2021 weeks before he became the oldest major champion at the PGA Championship.
Woods has not played in the US Open since missing the cut at Winged Foot in 2020. Thanks to his past success, he already holds lifetime exemptions at the Masters and the PGA Championship, and he can compete at The Open until he is 60.
Tiger Woods returned to competitive golf at the Hero World Challenge earlier this month (Getty Images)Ultimately, Woods will compete in all four majors if his fitness permits. He has already outlined his intention to play ‘once a month’ in 2024, reiterating his target after completing 72 holes in his comeback last month.
“I think that if you asked me right now I’m a little sore, but once a month seems reasonable,” said Woods, who finished 18th of 20 at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas. “Having a couple of weeks off to recover, a week to build up, there’s no reason why I can’t get into a rhythm.
“It’s just a matter of getting in better shape basically. I feel like my game’s not that far off, but I need to get in better shape.”
Woods is preparing to tee off alongside teenage son Charlie at the PNC Championship in Orlando this weekend.