(Far Hills) Tiger Woods has been chosen to receive the Bob Jones Trophy, the USGA’s highest honor, which recognizes his commitment to sportsmanship and respect for the traditions of golf.
Woods is generally honored for his performances on the course: he has won 15 major tournaments among his 82 career victories at the PGA.
“This award goes beyond performance and recognizes the lasting impact of an individual who forever changed the image and growth of golf,” said USGA CEO Mike Whan.
“Very few stand alongside Tiger Woods in terms of on-course accomplishments, and he is in a class of his own for the impact on future generations who will play golf. »
Woods was inducted into the Golf Hall of Fame in 2022. In 2019, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Donald Trump.
Woods won the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach (2000), Bethpage Black (2002) and Torrey Pines (2008).
“Bob Jones was a pillar of our sport because of the integrity with which he played the game. I am truly honored to receive the award that bears his name and to join those who have received it before me and who are carrying on his legacy,” Woods said in a statement.
Jones won the Grand Slam in 1930, when it included the amateur and professional versions of the American and British Opens.
He later co-founded the Augusta National Golf Club and created the Masters Tournament.
Off the field, Woods launched the TGR Foundation, which focuses on educational opportunities, as well as STEM-based learning, at the TGR Learning Lab in California.
He also started a golf course design business. One of his courses in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, hosted a PGA Tour event last fall.
Woods will be honored June 12 at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina during the U.S. Open.
Previous winners include Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Mickey Wright and Ben Hogan, as well as former President George HW Bush.