Former Champions Withdraw From PGA Championship

The PGA Championship is almost upon us, with the second men's Major of the year seeing the world's elite head to Oak Hill for a chance at the Wanamaker Trophy.

With the full field confirmed, there has been a lot of gossip around those featuring, with Paul Casey receiving a special invite after the PGA of America honoured its exemption to him last year after he was out injured. In 2021, Casey finished T4th at the event so qualified for the tournament at Southern Hills, but couldn't play due to a back problem.

Originally, there were 18 players from the LIV Golf League on the field list, with one of those being 2010 PGA Championship winner, Martin Kaymer. However, the German has been battling injury throughout 2023 and, despite playing in Tulsa this week, he won't be present at Oak Hill.

Although Kaymer has also played in the last three tournaments on the LIV circuit, he revealed at LIV Golf Tulsa that: "I'm playing good. It's just a matter of would I like to go there with the mindset of whether I can actually win a golf tournament. I don't have that yet. I have not been practicing at all the last six months."

It now means 17 players from LIV Golf will be featuring but, according to Phil Mickelson, he feels that number should be back to 18, as the six-time Major winner, who famously won the event back in 2021, called for Hy Flyers teammate, Cameron Tringale, to be in the field, stating that “I hope he gets in next week. He deserves it.”

For now though, it's time to focus on the field, which will also be without former PGA Championship winner, Jason Dufner. The American, who actually won his lone Major at Oak Hill in 2013, hasn't disclosed the reason as to why he has withdrawn, with Dufner missing the cut in 11 of his 19 starts on the PGA Tour.

He will join the likes of Tiger Woods, Will Zalatoris, Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood in not making the week in New York, with the tournament getting underway on Thursday 18th May.