Can Tiger Woods play in the 2028 PGA Tour Championship Series? - Golfweek

The PGA Tour announced sweeping changes to its player eligibility structure on Sept. 15 for access to its Championship Series, which begins in 2028 for the Tour's elite players.

Is there room for Tiger Woods, tied for the lead in career Tour victories with 82 and second only to Jack Nicklaus with 15 major championships?

As the requirements stand now, Woods, 50, can play in the 2028 Championship Series by using a one-time exemption for being among the top 50 on the career money list. Woods is currently No. 3, after being passed this season by Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy.

Woods is exempt on the PGA Tour for 2027 through a lifetime exemption granted to members of the World Golf Hall of Fame and/or players who have won 20 or more tournaments. He's exempt for the 2027 Masters, PGA and British Open as a past champion of those events. But to use his exemption into the Championship Series in 2028, Woods would need to play 15 PGA Tour events in 2027. Woods has not played 15 times since 2018.

The only significant tournaments Woods is not eligible for are The Players Championship and the U.S. Open. Woods' exemptions to The Players and the U.S. Open ran out after the 2024 tournament. He had been eligible until then through his 2019 Masters victory.

Woods received a five-year exemption for winning the second of his two Players Championships in 2013. The Players gives five-year exemptions for winning major championships.

Woods also could qualify for the Championship Series in 2028 by winning a 2027 event.

PGA Tour Commissioner Brian Rolapp said during a virtual news conference on Sept. 15 that Woods, chairman of the Future Competitions Committee, did not use his capacity as being on the inside of planning the new version of the Tour to lobby for any additional avenues for him to gain access.

"Tiger has been consistent ... he wants to do what's best for the PGA Tour," Rolapp said. "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."

Because of injuries and personal issues (he was arrested in March for DUI and sentenced on Sept. 2 to a five-year suspension of his license), Woods has not played a PGA Tour event since 2024. He is eligible for the PGA Tour Champions but did not play one of those events before his arrest.

The last time Woods played competitive golf was a TGL event on March 1.

Editor's note: This story was updated to include Woods' requirement of 15 starts in 2027 to use his 2028 exemption.