Sports
Tiger Woods will play the 2024 U.S. Launch at Pinehurst after receiving a special exemption from the USGA to join the discipline. Woods turned into no longer at the start eligible for the occasion after his five-year exemption for winning the 2019 Masters ran out, but the USGA’s decision is not any longer without precedent as golfers — each legends and in every other case — rep also got exemptions into the U.S. Launch.
“The U.S. Launch, our nationwide championship, is a truly special occasion for our game and one which has helped outline my profession,” Woods stated in a instruct. “I’m honored to rep this exemption and would possibly well simply tranquil no longer be more enraged for the different to compete on this year’s U.S. Launch, specifically at Pinehurst, a venue that methodology so powerful to the game.”
Woods has stated in most cases that he needs to play as soon as a month in 2024, a thought he repeated this week correct via an look on “This day.” He made his epic twenty fourth consecutive lower on the Masters in April, and he’s on time desk to tee it up in the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla (the build he won in 2000).
Tiger has lifetime exemptions to play the Masters and PGA Championship, and he’s eligible to play The Launch Championship unless he turns 60 years ragged. The 2024 U.S. Launch is the first time he didn’t qualify for a fundamental since turning skilled.
Woods is a three-time winner on the U.S. Launch, bringing home the championship trophy in 2000, 2002 and 2008. However, Tiger has never won the occasion at Pinehurst, the build he will tee it up alongside essentially one of the most practical on this planet this June.
“The story of the U.S. Launch is potentially no longer written without Tiger Woods,” USGA chief championships officer John Bodenhamer stated. “From his 15-stroke victory at Pebble Seaside in 2000 to his sharp gain on a broken leg at Torrey Pines in 2008, this championship is completely better when Tiger is in the discipline, and his accomplishments in the game certainly made this a easy decision for our special exemption committee.”
Almost three dozen avid gamers rep got special passes to play in U.S. Opens, at the side of Jack Nicklaus (eight cases), Arnold Palmer (five), Tom Watson (five), Hale Irwin (three), Seve Ballesteros (two) and Gary Participant (two).
It needs to be expected that Tiger will continue receiving USGA exemptions over the next plenty of years would possibly well furthermore simply tranquil he no longer qualify in every other case for future U.S. Opens.
Woods finished sixtieth on the Masters in April. He has no longer played a U.S. Launch for the reason that 2020 model at Winged Foot.