Defending champion Brooks Koepka, past winners Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, and world No.1 Scottie Scheffler will headline the 156-man field at the second major of year, the US PGA Championship, which is being held at Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky from May 16-19.
Koepka recorded his fifth career major last year by winning at Oak Hill, with Scheffler finishing tied for second alongside Viktor Hovland. Koepka also won the tournament in 2018 and 2019 and is in good form ahead of his defence after triumphing at last week’s LIV event in Singapore.
Woods, a 15-time major champion, won the PGA Championship in 1999, 2000, 2006 and 2007, while world No.2 McIlroy emerged victorious in 2012 and 2014. The four-time major winner has yet to win a major since that 2014 tournament which was also held at Valhalla.
They are among the 154 golfers named in the field by the PGA of America, with two remaining spots reserved for the winners of the Wells Fargo Championship and Myrtle Beach Classic. Should a golfer who is already exempt emerge victorious at either event, additional players will be chosen from the alternates list.
Taylor Gooch, who won three LIV Golf events in 2023, is one of seven LIV golfers to have accepted a special invitation to play in the PGA Championship
LIV TO FIELD 16 PLAYERS AT THE PGA
LIV Golf features 16 players in this year’s PGA Championship field, down from 18 a year ago. Along with Koepka, the Saudi-backed circuit will be represented by Jon Rahm, Cam Smith and Tyrrell Hatton on the basis of their current world rankings, while seven further players currently inside the top 100 in the world rankings have received ‘special invitations’ in order to maintain the PGA’s reputation for having the strongest field of the four majors. This group includes Patrick Reed, Joaquin Niemann, Talor Gooch, Dean Burmester, Lucas Herbert, Adrian Meronk and David Puig.
Reed’s tied 12th finish at Augusta National this year moved him inside the top 100 to 92nd, while Niemann won the Australian Open in December and has two LIV Golf wins to his name this year. Gooch won three LIV events in 2023 on his way to topping their season points list, but has shown no interest in playing in events outside of the 14-event circuit.
2010 Open champion and LIV Golf League player Louis Oosthuizen was also offered a special invitation to tee it up a Valhalla, but turned it down due to a prior personal commitment.
To check out the full field for the 2024 PGA Championshpi, click here.
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