Tiger Woods has teed off a total of three times this entire season, two of which happened to be the majors. Although at the Augusta National, Woods went on to create history by making the cut 24 consecutive times. He also put forth the worst Masters performance of his career. At Valhalla, the 15-time major winner even failed to make the cut.
After the Master, during an interview with Sky Sports, Tiger Woods revealed his upcoming plans for this season: “I’m going to do my homework going forward at Pinehurst, Valhalla, and Troon, but that’s kind of the game plan.” However, is Tiger Woods eligible to be a part of the field and will he be playing at Pinehurst No. 2 this year?
Woods has a shiny record when it comes to his major wins. They also paved the way for numerous exemptions for the 15-time major winner. The 48-year-old has a lifetime exemption at the Masters and PGA Championships. He is also exempt to play at the Open Championship until the age of 60. However, winning the US Open comes with only a 10-year exemption and the last time Tiger Woods won the tournament was in 2008. After winning the 2019 Masters, Woods became eligible to play at the US Open as he received a 5-year exemption status, which ran out last year. Even after that, good news awaits Mr. T’s fans, as they will get to witness Tiger Woods’s gameplay at Pinehurst this year as well.
Golf – The 150th Open Championship – Old Course, St Andrews, Scotland, Britain – July 12, 2022 Tiger Woods of the U.S. during a press conference REUTERS/Andrew BoyersThe USGA has offered the 82-time PGA Tour winner a special exemption, which will allow Woods to be a part of the 124th edition of the event. Upon accepting the exemption, Tiger Woods stated, “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.”
The Jupiter Island resident has now become one of the legendary players who have been given a special exemption by the USGA for the U.S. Open. The list includes Jack Niklaus, who received seven special exemptions, and Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson, each of whom got it five times from the USGA.
Tiger Woods has already tasted victory at the U.S. Open, not just once but three times. The first win came in 2000, which was crucial to the creation of the historic Tiger Slam. The next victory came in 2002 and the last time Woods lifted the U.S. Open trophy was in 2008. Before the commencement of the third major. How did Woods fair the last time he teed off at the U.S. Open?
Looking back at Tiger Woods’s performance at the 2020 U.S. Open
Tiger Woods’s outing at Winged Foot in 2020, was not impressive. The PGA Tour pro had to pack his bags early. In the first round, he was able to score 3 over 73, including 5 birdies, 5 bogies, and a double bogey. Things took a turn for the worse during the second round as he went on to card 4 bogeys, 2 double bogeys, and just 2 birdies, which resulted in a score of 7 over 77, forcing him to pack his bags early.
According to PGATour.com, Woods expressed his disappointment over not being able to make the cut at the 120th edition of the event, “It’s frustrating that I’m not going to be here for the weekend and be able to compete for this great championship.” He even became his own critic, as reflected in his performance. “Physically it was frustrating that I didn’t drive the ball as well as I needed to. Iron play was pretty much the way it has been. It’s been good, and I finally putted well. But on this golf course it’s imperative that you hit fairways, and I did not do that.”
Will Woods finally be able to get over his slump at Pinehurst No. 2 and win his 16th major title? One can only wait as the 124th edition of the U.S. Open is set to kick off on June 13, 2024!
