Tiger Woods has admitted he’s unsure of how he will qualify forS next year’s US Open – with the 15-time major winner not exempt for the tournament for the first time in nearly three decades.
Woods has played in just one tournament (Hero World Challenge) since he underwent ankle surgery in April, plus the PNC Championship with his son Charlie, and hasn’t appeared at Winged Foot since he missed the cut in 2020.
His 2019 Masters win qualified him for the next five US Opens, but that time period is now up and Woods has dropped to 901st in the world rankings.
So with less than seven months until the tournament in Pinehurst, Woods’ path to entry is not yet clear.
‘That, I do not know,’ he said at the PNC Championship. ‘I don’t know what’s happened or what Jack [Nicklaus], what happened over his career, or Tom [Watson] or anybody else.
Woods has dropped to 901st in the world rankings as he’s barely played this year
Tiger Woods and son Charlie Woods are seen at the PNC Championship over the weekend
‘But as of right now, no, I’m not in, and whether or not I have to formally ask them or they invite me, or you give me an exemption or I have to go qualify, you know, who knows.
The last time that Woods was not automatically qualified for a major championship was the 1996 PGA Championship, when he was an amateur.
He’ll likely need a special exemption to gain entry into the 2024 US Open, which there is historical precedent for.
Nicklaus received eight special exemptions to the tournament, while Arnold Palmer got five, as Sports Illustrated noted.
Phil Mickelson was also given one in 2021.
Woods, pictured with winner Scottie Scheffler, finished 18th at the Hero World Challenge
Woods finished 18th out of 20 players at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas from November 30 to December 3.
He told the Golf Channel after the event that he’s targeting up to 12 tournaments in 2024, saying it seemed a ‘reasonable’ plan.
‘I think the best scenario would be maybe a tournament a month,’ he said last Tuesday. ‘I think that’s realistic. You would have to start maybe with the Genesis [in February], then something in March, maybe The Players. But we have a setup right now where the biggest events are one per month, so it sets itself up for that.
‘Now, I need to get myself ready for all of that, I think this week is a big step in that direction.’
