Rex Hoggard of Golf Channel noted Woods will be included in the field due to a special exemption from the USGA and relayed a statement from the 15-time major champion: “I’m honored to receive this exemption and could not be more excited for the opportunity to compete in this year’s U.S. Open, especially at Pinehurst, a venue that means so much to the game.”
This comes after Woods appeared on NBC’s Today on Wednesday and said he plans on playing in the three remaining majors this year after participating in April’s Masters:
He also previously told reporters he hoped to play in one tournament per month this year.
Keeping up with that schedule would likely mean teeing up at the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, in May. That would then put him in line for the U.S. Open, which will be from June 13-16.
June is a busy time on the PGA Tour, as the Memorial Tournament (June 6-9) and Travelers Championship (June 20-23) are both signature events. Woods has won the Memorial Tournament five times, but it would still be somewhat of a surprise to see him in the field for either of those if he is going to play in the PGA Championship and U.S. Open.
Woods finished in 60th place at the Masters during something of an up-and-down week.
On the positive side, he finished a tournament for the first time this year and even set a record by becoming the first player in Masters history to make the cut in 24 consecutive appearances. However, he struggled as the tournament progressed and even finished with the worst score of his career for a single round at the Masters or any major with a 10-over 82 in the third round.
Still, it represented progress for someone who has struggled to finish tournaments since he suffered serious injuries in a February 2021 car accident.
He will look to build on that progress at the U.S. Open, which is a tournament he has won three times during his illustrious career. However, he has not participated in the event since 2021 and missed the cut in three of his last four appearances.
Woods will surely be looking to play through the entire weekend this time around.