Liberty Corner, New Jersey, United States: The United States Golf Association (USGA) has selected Tiger Woods as the recipient of this year’s Bob Jones Award, the USGA’s highest honour, in recognition of his commitment to sportsmanship and respect for golf’s time-honoured traditions.

Woods, a 15-time Major champion and nine-time USGA champion, has redefined the game of golf in the modern era, overcoming physical and personal challenges by displaying the characteristics of tenacity, mental strength and perseverance.

“This award goes beyond playing performance, recognising the lasting impact of one person’s journey that has forever changed the image and growth of golf,” said Mike Whan, CEO of the USGA.

“There are very few who stand alongside Tiger Woods in terms of on-course accomplishments, and he is in a class of his own when it comes to the impact he has made on the game and future generations who will play it,” added Whan.

His journey, from junior phenomenon to young star, achiever to ambassador, player to mentor and golf innovator to entrepreneur, is marked by a rich and deep story defined not just by trophies, but by triumphing over near-impossible obstacles and emerging stronger beyond them. Always rising to the occasion, Woods continues to play the game without compromising his drive or his respect for it.

His dedication to fair play and long-standing commitment to excellence are among the traits embodied by the award’s namesake, Robert Tyre Jones Jr, one of golf’s greats, a fellow nine-time USGA champion and one of the most respected players in the game’s history.

“Bob Jones was a pillar of our game because of the integrity with which he played it, and I’m truly humbled to receive the award that bears his name and join the many who have received it before me who continue his legacy,” said Woods. “It’s especially fitting to receive this honour from the USGA, which has meant so much to my career and the entire game of golf.”

Woods’ charitable endeavours and significant impact off the golf course are integral to his living legacy. Founded in 1996 with his father, Earl, the TGR Foundation provides opportunities to help change the trajectories of students’ lives through access to college and career-preparation resources, along with STEM-based experiential learning via the TGR Learning Lab.

A transcendent talent and one of the most accomplished players in history, Woods is credited with inspiring a generation of golfers to take up the game through his decades of dominance at every level of the sport. His nine USGA titles, matched only by Jones, include three consecutive US Junior Amateurs (1991-1993), followed by three straight US Amateurs (1994-1996) and an overall USGA match play record of 42-3.

His record 15-stroke victory at Pebble Beach in the 2000 US Open and his captivating play-off win on a broken leg at Torrey Pines to claim the 2008 US Open are among the most memorable performances in the championship’s history.

“Throughout his playing career and along with his incredible work outside the ropes, Tiger Woods has quite literally changed the game, and he has done it while embodying the characteristics recognised by this award and shared by others who have received it,” said Fred Perpall, USGA President. “His impact on the game is incalculable, and there is no doubt that golf would not be the same without Tiger in it.”

Past recipients of the Bob Jones Award include Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Mickey Wright, Francis Ouimet, Byron Nelson, Nancy Lopez, President George HW Bush, Patty Berg and Annika Sorenstam.

Woods will be recognised on June 12 at a ceremony in the Village of Pinehurst during the week of the 2024 US Open.