With a week until the 2025 PGA Championship begins at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, the full 156-player field for the second men’s major of the year is almost complete.
Fourteen past champions are among the players listed as competing when the PGA of America released the preliminary field on Tuesday. This includes Xander Schauffele, winner a year ago at Valhalla when he shot a closing 65 to beat Bryson DeChambeau by one shot and claim the Wanamaker Trophy. Included as well is Justin Thomas, winner the previous time that Quail Hollow hosted the PGA Championship in 2017.
The past champions list, however, is without John Daly, who is missing the PGA for only the second time since winning in 1991, and Tiger Woods, who continues to recover from Achilles tendon surgery.
Fifteen full-time members of the LIV Golf League (and one standby) are in the field. Among those receiving special invites from the PGA of America who were not part of the top 100 in the Official World Golf Ranking were Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Tom McKibbin, Joaquin Niemann and David Puig. Johnson arguably is the biggest surprise. His exemption for winning the Masters in 2020 ran out this year, and he is ranked 751st in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Another player who received a special exemption was Rickie Fowler. All members of the U.S. and European 2023 Ryder Cup teams qualify for the PGA Championship so long as they are still among the top 100 in the OWGR. Fowler ranks 125th, but was given a spot in the PGA field ahead of 13 other pros ranked higher than him in the OWGR. Fowler’s first career PGA Tour win came at Quail Hollow in the 2012 Wells Fargo Championship.
All told, 29 major champions are in the field and three World Golf Hall of Famers. Players from 24 countries and 26 states are represented.
Two more spots remain to be filled, each being held for the winners of this week’s Truist Championship and Myrtle Beach Classic if they aren’t already qualified. In addition, Billy Horschel is listed in the field, but he announced on Tuesday that he was having hip surgery, likely freeing up another spot.
2025 PGA Championship field (as of May 6)
Phil Mickelson, 1
ALTERNATE LIST
Qualifying criteria for the 2025 PGA Championship
According to the PGA of America, which conducts the PGA Championship, there are 15 ways to qualify:
1: Past champions of the PGA Championship
2: Winners of the last five Masters
3: Winners of the last five U.S. Opens
4: Winners of the last five Open Championships
5: Winners of the last three Players Championships
6: Top three on the International Federation Official World Golf Ranking
7: Winner of the 2024 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship
8: Top 15 finishers and ties from the 2024 PGA Championship
9: Top 20 finishers from the 2025 PGA Professional Championship
10: Top 70 players who are eligible and have earned the most PGA Championship points from the 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge through the 2025 CJ CUP Byron Nelson
11: Playing members of the last-named U.S. and European Ryder Cup teams (2023) provided they remain within the top 100 on the Official World Golf Ranking
12: Winners of PGA Tour co-sponsored or approved tournaments
13: Top three finishers on the DP World Tour Asian Swing event rankings
14: The PGA of America says it reserves the right to invite additional players, if necessary, to get the field to 156.
15: If necessary to complete the field, those players beyond the top 70 players who are eligible and who have earned the most PGA Championship Points from the 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge through the 2025 CJ CUP Byron Nelson (ending May 4, 2025), in order of their position on such list.
Main Image: Gary Kellner