The 125th US Open has world-class talent throughout the field, but some big names are missing, including Sergio Garcia, Max Homa and Rickie Fowler, who all failed to make it through Final Qualifying. However, there is no bigger name on the list of notable absentees than three-time winner Tiger Woods.
At the start of the year, it was hoped that, like in 2024, Woods would compete in all four Majors, even if his injury-ravaged body wouldn’t allow anything approaching a full schedule.
To begin with, there was little to dampen that optimism, particularly after the year began less than two weeks after he had looked fit and healthy playing with son Charlie at the PNC Championship, three months after back surgery, with the duo taking Bernhard Langer and his son Jason to a playoff before settling for runner-up.
In mid-January, Woods made his TGL debut for Jupiter Links GC, with all the signs suggesting that he was edging closer to his first world ranking appearance since The Open. Another TGL appearance came two weeks later, and, in early February, he was confirmed for his first PGA Tour start of the year at the Genesis Invitational. Sadly for Woods, he lost his mother, Kultida, around the same time, leading to him pulling out of the tournament.
Even then, there was no suggestion Woods had any injury concerns, and he played in more TGL matches, the most recent coming on March 4th. However, just a week later, he announced he had undergone surgery on his left Achilles, throwing his entire Major season into doubt, US Open included.
The worst was soon all but confirmed with expert opinion suggesting it would be a minimum of six months to seven months before he was ready to play again.
Sure enough, he didn’t compete in The Masters or the PGA Championship, and he won’t play any part in the US Open either.
But would Woods have been guaranteed a place in the US Open anyway? After all, unlike the other three Majors, winning the event doesn’t offer an exemption into the distant future, with a relatively short 10-year guarantee for anyone who lifts the trophy.
Woods hasn’t done that since 2008 with his epic playoff victory over Rocco Mediate, meaning technically, he would have been looking for other ways to qualify.
However, his world ranking is nowhere near good enough thanks to his injury problems in recent years, and his five-year exemption following his 2019 Masters win expired after the 2023 event at Los Angeles Country Club. Meanwhile, it’s hardly likely he would have put his body through 36 holes of Final Qualifying.
So, assuming he had stayed fit but hadn’t performed the necessary heroics to qualify, would he have been at Oakmont this year anyway? One clue lies in his 2024 appearance, which came courtesy of a special exemption.
At the time, the move to grant Woods the exemption was justified by USGA Chief Championships Officer John Bodenhamer, who said: “The story of the US Open could not be written without Tiger Woods. From his 15-stroke victory at Pebble Beach in 2000 to his inspiring win on a broken leg at Torrey Pines in 2008, this championship is simply better when Tiger is in the field, and his accomplishments in the game undoubtedly made this an easy decision for our special exemption committee.”
Considering that explanation, it is reasonable to assume that, had he not sustained the damage to his Achilles earlier in the year, we’d once again be seeing the great man tee it up at the US Open.
