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Tiger Woods has recently been granted exemptions for certain tournaments based on 'exceptional lifetime achievement.' The PGA announced that players with 80 or more tour victories will receive this status. With 82 wins, Tiger is the only active player to meet this criterion, making it a unique honor for him. While some may wonder why the PGA would do this, the answer is clear: Tiger is the GOAT, the best to ever play the game. However, is this also a strategic move by the PGA to boost declining viewership numbers? Has LIV Golf made a significant enough impact to prompt the organization to create new rules aimed at enhancing the entertainment value of each event? Let's find out a little more.
PGA Leverages Tiger Woods' Lifetime Achievement to Boost Viewership
Drawing in viewers isn't easy for the PGA Tour. The game can be lengthy and, frankly, a bit dull—even for die-hard golf fans like me. Newcomers to the sport aren't as captivated as the older generation; they crave more excitement. They seek the adrenaline rush of rooting for a football, soccer, or basketball team—the collective energy of a fired-up crowd. This kind of fervor is rarely seen in the PGA, with the Waste Management Open being a notable exception. It's chaotic, but it's exactly what the people want.
With that said, the PGA as an organization has recognized this a long time ago. They are catching a ton of heat from the LIV Tour and can feel viewership pletting elsewhere. As a combat to this, they have started to ride the wave of a generational culture shift that Tiger Woods created to the sport. He won tournaments by numbers unthought of, did that over and over again for years on end, stread a generation of new golfers, and created hype around every other area of the game. In the late 90s and early to mid 2000's, Tiger Woods made golf his bitch. And as a reward, he gets a lifetime exemption...
Special Exemptions Reserved for Tiger Woods Legendary Achievements
After winning 82 tournaments, record 142 straight cuts made, highest all time money list, 683 consecutive weeks at world NO 1 (13 years) and not to mention the legendary 2013 Master win, he has beaten all the records. But you still see him out on the course playing. Why? Well for starters, it's the love of the sport. Because of it, the PGA Tour is gonna take full advantage.
To get into this echelon of golfers, you must have 80 tour wins. Well, Tiger is the only one on tour with that achievement. Do you think it was intended for him?
What can we expect from this?
A rise in viewership can be predicted 100%. However, as a 48 year old with multiple back surgeries, will this really help bring in a new crowd of new and young golfers? People that have grown up watching Tiger play will never question his abilities and the intense energy he brings to the sport. In reality, the PGA can only compete with LIV if it doubles down on their best player for views. This can only last so long. Which leaves me to question what else they have behind closed doors. What new rules are they making?
Keeping you Up to Date
We expect to see more out of this Tiger Woods special exemption in the next couple months. We will keep you up to date on all things golf including in our newsletter. We come out with one the 1st and 15th of every month. This includes discounts to our products and exciting new drops. Get early access by signing up.
Be sure to check out some of our other blogs. We like to question how golf is being played. By stepping outside of the golf scene we can see who is looking to peak inside. It is up to us to help those shy and new golfers into our culture. Continue to do so by asking why the PGA does what is does. Show off new products that enter the golf space. Remember golf is a game of maybe. No pars guaranteed and no birdies promised.
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