How Many Club Pros Usually Make The Cut At The PGA Championship?
The PGA Championship offers places to 20 club pros in its field of 156, but how many typically make the cut?
While questions linger about the current identity of the PGA Championship, it has various elements that make it unique, one of which is the inclusion of 20 club pros in its field of 156.
The players qualify via the annual PGA Professional Championship. In 2026, the event was held at Bandon Dunes, where 312 professionals representing the 41 sections of the PGA of America competed over 72 holes for the chance to earn their place at the PGA Championship.
There, the likes of winner Jesse Droemer and 2023 PGA Championship hero Michael Block all qualified for the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club, thanks to their finishing positions.
But how many of the club pros at the PGA Championship usually make the cut?
Jesse Droemer won the 2026 PGA Professional Championship
Another element of the PGA Championship that sets it apart from other tournaments is its strength of field, with the Major widely regarded as having the strongest line-up in the game.
Indeed, it is the only one of the four men’s Majors that doesn’t include amateurs, while the top 100 in the world are generally invited to compete each year.
Given the stiff competition, it is not surprising that the number of club pros who typically make it beyond the first two rounds is relatively low.
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
In the last 10 editions of the PGA Championship, only nine club pros have progressed as far as the weekend, while on four occasions, none made the cut.
The most productive year for the club pros in that period was 2019, when three made the cut at Bethpage Black - Rob Labritz, who finished T60, Ryan Vermeer, who placed T80 and Marty Jertson in 82nd.
Three club pros made the cut in 2019, including Rob Labritz of GlenArbor Golf Club in New York
The 2024 PGA Championship, at Valhalla, saw two club pros make it beyond 36 holes – Braden Shattuck, who finished 72nd, and Jeremy Wells, who placed 77th.
That left four occasions where one club pro progressed to the weekend. One came in 2017, when Omar Uresti finished T73 at Quail Hollow.
A year later, Ben Kern finished tied for 42nd at Bellerive Country Club, while in 2021, Brad Marek placed 78th at Kiawah Island.
By far the biggest success story in recent years came in 2023 at Oak Hill, when Michael Block was the one club pro to make it to the weekend.
Incredibly, he was still in contention to win the event heading into the final round, when he was paired with Rory McIlroy on his way to a T15.
To make his unforgettable week even more memorable, during the final round, he stole the limelight from his playing partner with a brilliant slam-dunk hole-in-one at the 151-yard 13th.
Michael Block had a memorable performance in 2023, when he finished in a tie for 15th
Success stories like that are few and far between, and in four of the last 10 editions, none have made it as far as the weekend, with all 20 heading home early in 2016, 2020, 2022 and 2025.
While it's relatively rare to see club pros progress beyond 36 holes, as well as Block's heroics in 2023, there have been some remarkable finishes from the players through the years.
Here are the best performances from club pros at the PGA Championship.
Best Club Pro Performances At The PGA Championship
Position | Year | Players |
|---|---|---|
3rd | 1971 | Tommy Bolt |
4th | 1969 | Jimmy Wright |
T4 | 1972 | Sam Snead |
T9 | 1973 | Sam Snead |
T11 | 1969 | Don Bies |
T11 | 1974 | Tommy Aycock |
T11 | 1986 | Lonnie Nielsen |
T12 | 1973 | Denny Lyons |
T15 | 2023 | Michael Block |
T17 | 1988 | Jay Overton |
T19 | 1990 | Bob Boyd |
T20 | 1972 | Larry Wise |
T22 | 1974 | Stan Brion |
T22 | 1975 | Ed Dougherty |
T22 | 1976 | Don Messengale |
T24 | 1974 | Don Messengale |
T27 | 1983 | Buddy Whitten |
T28 | 1992 | Tom Wargo |
T30 | 1970 | Bob Menne |
T30 | 1971 | Gene Borek |
T30 | 1983 | Bob Boyd |
T30 | 1984 | Bob Boyd |
T31 | 2004 | Chip Sullivan |
T31 | 1993 | Tom Wargo |
T31 | 1993 | Stu Ingraham |
T40 | 2005 | Steve Schneiter |
T42 | 2018 | Ben Kern |
T44 | 2021 | Ben Cook |
T44 | 2001 | Rick Schuller |
T47 | 1997 | Bob Betley |
T51 | 1996 | Bob Boyd |
T60 | 2019 | Rob Labritz |
T61 | 1981 | Don Pdgett |

Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories.
He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game.
Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course.
Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.