Tiger Woods escapes Open rule change that will impact golf rivals going forward

Tiger Woods has narrowly escaped a golf rule change that would have impacted his eligibility to compete at the Open.

The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews has overhauled the amount of time former champions are exempt from qualifying. All ex-winners of the Open were exempt from qualifying up until they turn 60.

From 2024 onwards, the age of exemption has been dramatically reduced to 55. Woods will not be impacted by this rule change due to the fact he has already won the competition.

This means he will be able to compete in the major without qualifying for the next 12 years. It will come as a relief to the three-time winner, who these days tends to save himself for the major competitions on the calendar.

Woods will be competing in Scotland, which begins on Thursday, July 18 and climaxes on Sunday. The 15-time major winner will be a huge outsider having missed the cut at the US Open.

The 48-year-old went through the heartbreak of watching a putt on the 15th hole at Pinehurst No.2 lip out and deny him a much-needed birdie. It proved to be the vital moment that saw him miss the cut by two strokes.

Woods has been competing through the pain of numerous injuries that have hampered his game over the last few years. He has spent an awful lot of time away from the sport due to high-profile personal issues and painful bouts of injury.

Woods missed the cut at the recent US Open
(Image: Getty Images)

Things took a turn for the worst when he shattered his leg by rolling his car into a ditch in a high speed car crash in February 2021. A statement released on the star's website said he suffered: "Comminuted open fractures affecting both the upper and lower portions of the tibia and fibula bones".

He went on to return to the Masters in April 2022, but has only finished two of the seven majors he has played in ever since. He has missed the cut in two and withdrew from the other five. The Open is expected to be his final outing of the 2024 season.

Woods appeared to hint that this year could be his last appearance at the Open
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Yet, after his disappointment at the US Open, Woods even hinted that it could be his final appearance at the Open full stop. He said: "As far as my last Open Championship or US Open, I don't know what that is.

"It may or may not be. It's one of those things where in order to win a golf tournament, you have to make the cut. I can't win the tournament from where I'm at, so it certainly is frustrating." He added: "I’ve only got one more tournament this season.

"I don’t think even if I win the British Open, I don’t think I’ll be in the PGA Tour play-offs. Just one more event and then I’ll come back whenever I come back."

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.