PGA Tour creates special sponsor exemption for Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods received a special sponsor exemption from the PGA Tour, allowing him to compete in eight signature events.

According to a memo to tour members obtained by ESPN.com, the PGA cited Woods being given the exemption because of his "exceptional lifetime achievement."

Woods is a winner of 15 major championships, the last coming in the 2019 Masters. After he suffered major injuries in a car crash in February 2021, he has not played enough golf to qualify for some of the high-pursed events.

The eight signature events this season are The Sentry, AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Genesis Invitational, Arnold Palmer Invitational, RBC Heritage, Wells Fargo Championship, Memorial Tournament and the Travelers Championship.

The Travelers is the last signature event this year and will be played June 22-25 at the TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. The purse is $20 million, with the winner receiving $3.6 million.

Woods, 48, said he plans to play in the next major, the British Open, starting July 18 at Scotland's Royal Troon Golf Course.

The memo also updated tour members about a possible merger with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, LIV Golf's monetary arm.

"As we've said in the past – we can't negotiate in public – but we are making progress," Monahan said, according to the memo. "Two weeks ago, members of our PGA Tour Enterprises transaction subcommittee met in New York with Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the Governor of the PIF, as well as members of his team. During that meeting, we reached consensus on several items, but both parties recognize that there is still work to do to reach a final agreement."