The PGA of America revealed the field for next week’s 107th PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The year’s second major will feature a stacked lineup headlined by world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, fresh Masters champion Rory McIlroy, and defending PGA champion Xander Schauffele. Virtually every top player will be there – the field includes all but one golfer from the world’s top 100. (Billy Horschel is technically listed but he’s expected to withdraw due to injury.)
Sixteen LIV Golf players have made the cut for Quail Hollow: Richard Bland, Dean Burmester, John Catlin, Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio Garcia, Tyrrell Hatton, Dustin Johnson, Martin Kaymer, Brooks Koepka, Tom McKibbin, Phil Mickelson, Joaquin Niemann, David Puig, Jon Rahm, Patrick Reed and Cameron Smith.
What’s interesting is who didn’t get invited. Several prominent LIV players – Lucas Herbert, Sebastian Munoz, Carlos Ortiz and Marc Leishman – won’t be teeing it up despite all ranking in the top 10 of LIV’s individual standings.
Victor Perez, ranked 109th in the world, is the highest-ranked player missing from the field. Patrick Fishburn (No. 110) is first alternate and will likely get in now that Horschel has announced upcoming right hip surgery.
Rickie Fowler’s inclusion at No. 125 raised some eyebrows. There are 13 players ranked ahead of him who didn’t make the field, which typically favors players in or just outside the top 100. The PGA’s criteria does state they “reserve the right to invite additional players to complete the field.”
McKibbin, Fowler, Garcia, Johnson, Elvis Smylie (PGA Tour of Australasia money leader) and Luke Donald (European Ryder Cup captain) received special Category 14 invitations despite all ranking behind Perez.
Two spots remain open for the winners of the Truist Championship and Myrtle Beach Classic. If those winners are already qualified, the PGA will turn to its alternate list: Fishburn, Rico Hoey, Michael Thorbjornsen, Perez and Alex Smalley, in that order.
The field currently stands at 154 players, with world rankings as of the PGA of America’s announcement.
