How Is Tiger Woods Exempt From 152nd Open Championship After Missing U.S Open Cut?

The 2024 season has been challenging for Tiger Woods. In February, he withdrew from the Genesis Invitational due to illness. At the Masters this year, Woods was able to make the cut and complete all four rounds but health fatigue soon set in, which impacted the 48-year-old’s performance on the course. He ended up recording the worst finish of his career at Augusta. Some may have hoped for improvement in subsequent tournaments, but unfortunately, that was not the case.

Later, during the PGA Championship, things took a turn for the worse as the pro missed the cut. It was unexpected that the same fate as the last major would unfold again. As you might have guessed, Tiger Woods shot a score of 7-over par 147, with rounds of 74 and 73 over two days, ultimately missing the cut by 2 strokes. Despite facing these setbacks, Woods disclosed during a press conference at Pinehurst No. 2 that he still has one start left for this season. How is this possible?

There are certain ways to qualify for the majors, including the criteria for OWGR. In the case of the last major of the season, it grants special exemptions to the top 50 players, according to their website. Woods isn’t even in the top 500, let alone the top 50. However, besides the Official World Golf Ranking criteria, this major also grants exemptions to past champions and Masters champions. Based on these criteria, Woods will be participating in the 152nd Open at Royal Troon from July 14–21, 2024.

Among Tiger Woods’ 15 major victories, two of them are Open championships. In the remarkable year 2000, where he won three majors, Woods secured his first Open Championship with a commanding lead of 8 strokes, setting a record for the largest margin of victory in Open Championship history. Five years later, in 2005, he claimed his second Open championship by a margin of two strokes. As previously observed, the Open Championship provides exemptions to past winners, which makes Woods eligible to participate. Despite this, the question remains about how long he will continue to play.

Is this US Open the last one for Tiger Woods?

When discussing his situation with the majors, Woods was asked, “How much does it hurt to not make the cut, and have you at any point this week felt, hand on heart, this could be your last U.S. Open?” Given his health and performance, this question is understandable. In response, the pro said, “Well, it’s one of those things where to win a golf tournament, you have to make the cut. I can’t win the tournament from where I’m at, so it certainly is frustrating.” It’s a fact that a pro must make the cut, and this is particularly heartbreaking for Woods, as he missed it at Valhalla and now faces the same unfortunate fate at Pinehurst No. 2.

While explaining his situation, he mentioned that he felt he played well enough to contend, but things didn’t go his way. Responding to the final question, he gave a vague answer, stating, “As far as my last Open Championship or U.S. Open Championship, I don’t know what that is. It may or may not be.” The 48-year-old has won the US Open three times. But after a disappointing performance this year, Tiger Woods is unsure about his future with the tournament.

Do you think this will be the final US Open for the 15-time major champion?