Is there a specific exemption for Tiger Woods? That’s precisely what the PGA Tour Rules Department will vote on next Tuesday. Specifically, the category refers to the designated tournaments of the next year. Whenever Tiger wanted to play such events he could do so without having to ask for any invitation.
According to a news story by Sean Zak from Golf.com, the aforementioned department will review a proposal next week during a meeting at the Travelers Championship in which Woods would be eligible to enter these events. The same news acknowledges that the Players Council is in favour and has given the green light to this proposal. Everything points to it going ahead without major problems.
Currently, the designated tournaments have four invitations and the Tour wants to avoid one of them always being granted to Tiger and this harming the rest of the players. Logically any event wants to have Woods and the fact that one of these invitations can always fall on him is something that worries. The circuit understands that the career and achievements of the 15 Majors champion more than justify the creation of a special ad hoc category.
This news reveals another reality and that is that Tiger feels better and better prepared to play more tournaments regularly. It is the player himself who declares that he feels better and better. If Tiger didn’t feel that he can play more and more this special category wouldn’t make sense to create. Another thing is what his body can really withstand afterwards.
Today, after finishing the first day of the US Open, he acknowledged that he feels physically well, but that he has a dilemma, a fear: “I have to choose between playing more and the risk of injury or playing less and arriving without the necessary preparation for these tournaments”. In short, Tiger wants to play more and is looking for the way to do it.
