Tiger Woods has a path into the PGA Tour’s new Championship Series in 2028, but getting there could require him to do something he hasn’t done in nearly a decade.
The PGA Tour announced major changes to its player eligibility structure on September 15, including requirements for the Championship Series that will begin in 2028 and feature the Tour’s top players.
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Under the current rules, Woods, 50, could use a one-time exemption available to players in the top 50 on the PGA Tour’s career money list. Woods currently ranks No. 3 after Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy passed him.
However, that path comes with a significant requirement: Woods would need to play 15 PGA Tour events during the 2027 season.
He hasn’t played that many Tour events in a season since 2018.
Tiger Woods Has More Than One Path Into the PGA Tour Championship Series
Woods remains exempt on the PGA Tour for the 2027 season through the lifetime exemption available to World Golf Hall of Fame members and players who have won at least 20 Tour events.
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His 82 career PGA Tour victories are tied for the most all-time.
Woods also remains eligible for three of golf’s four majors in 2027 as a past champion. He can compete in the Masters, PGA Championship and British Open.
His exemptions for the U.S. Open and The Players Championship have expired. Woods’ eligibility for both tournaments was previously extended through 2024 because of his 2019 Masters victory. His second Players Championship win in 2013 had also earned him a five-year exemption into that event.
Playing 15 times in 2027 isn’t Woods’ only potential route into the Championship Series. He could also qualify by winning a PGA Tour event during the 2027 season.
PGA Tour Commissioner Addresses Tiger Woods’ Role in Major Changes
Woods played an important role in developing the Tour’s new structure as chairman of the Future Competitions Committee, but PGA Tour Commissioner Brian Rolapp said Woods did not use that position to push for a special route into the Championship Series.
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“Tiger has been consistent … he wants to do what’s best for the PGA Tour,” Rolapp said during a September 15 virtual news conference, via Golf Week. “That he is looking long-term about it. This wasn’t about that we need to change the rules for Tiger. His focus had been on trying to make the PGA Tour live way past any of us. That clearly was his orientation.”
Woods has not competed in an official PGA Tour event since 2024. His most recent competitive golf appearance came during a TGL match on March 1, 2026.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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