The PGA Championship field has been officially announced with Tiger Woods included in the list of participants. The field also includes seven players from the Saudi-funded LIV Golf, giving the major 99 of the top 100 players in the world ranking at Valhalla next week. The PGA of America aims to have the top 100 players in the world to maintain its reputation for having the strongest field of the four majors, although it is not a strict criteria. The group of LIV players includes Patrick Reed, who has been invited to keep his streak of playing in every major since the 2014 Masters alive. The PGA Championship will be held at Valhalla in Louisville, Kentucky, from May 16-19.
Joaquin Niemann, who has two LIV Golf wins this year, has also received an invitation to the PGA Championship. The surprise inclusion was Talor Gooch, who announced on social media that he had been invited to the tournament. Other players who received special invitations include Dean Burmester, Lucas Herbert, Adrian Meronk, and David Puig, who has been performing well on the Asian Tour. The field will feature 16 LIV players, down from 18 last year, with defending champion Brooks Koepka aiming for his fourth PGA Championship title.
Louis Oosthuizen, the British Open champion, declined his invitation to the tournament due to personal commitments. LIV players will be well represented at the championship, with Koepka being the only active LIV player to have won a major. The PGA of America’s selection committee has considered deserving players from various tours around the world, with invitations extended to Tim Widing of Sweden and Kazuma Kobori, a 22-year-old born in Japan who now plays under the New Zealand flag. The field also includes 21 club professionals, with two spots being kept open in case the winners of the Wells Fargo Championship and the Myrtle Beach Classic are not already eligible.
The PGA Championship field at Valhalla promises to be competitive and feature some of the top players in the world, including Tiger Woods and defending champion Brooks Koepka. With a strong representation from the LIV Golf players and top performers from various tours around the world, the tournament is shaping up to be an exciting and highly contested event. Fans can expect to witness thrilling golf action as the players compete for one of the prestigious titles in the sport. Stay tuned for updates and coverage of the PGA Championship at Valhalla from May 16-19.
