The family friendly PNC Championship is one of golf's most loved events with its 20 teams battling it out in a feel-good 36-hole scramble.
The field is always stacked with modern greats and past legends, but how do they qualify?
It's actually very simple, with the PNC Championship only open to 20 professionals who have either won Majors or The Players Championship, which is the PGA Tour's flagship tournament.
The tournament is organized by the PGA Tour Champions, which is the over-50s circuit run by the PGA Tour - hence why Players Championship winners are allowed in the PNC Championship field. It's why Matt Kuchar is able to play each year with his sons Carson and Cameron, with the American winning at TPC Sawgrass in 2012.
And the term 'Major' championship also applies to senior Majors, which is how Steve Stricker is in the field. The American never won a regular Major or the Players Championship but was able to make his debut in 2023 thanks to his many senior Major victories.
The 2021 US Ryder Cup captain has seven senior Major wins.
Major and Players Championship winners must not be LIV Golfers, though, due to golf's ongoing civil war that sees players in the 54-hole tour suspended by the PGA Tour. 2016 Open champion Henrik Stenson played in the PNC Championship with his son Karl in 2021 but is no longer eligible after joining the rival circuit.
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Henrik Stenson is no longer eligible after he joined the rival LIV Golf tour
(Image credit: Getty Images)
And when it comes to deciding the amateur partners at the PNC Championship, they must be a family member and cannot hold any playing status on a professional tour. This meant that Stricker's daughter Bobbi was unable to play in 2023 due to her Epson Tour status, so luckily for younger daughter Izzi, she got the call to play.
This rule could force a number of amateur partners out in the coming years, with the likes of John Daly II, Izzi Stricker, Brady Duval, Jacob Immelman, Sean Lehman and Luke Leonard all currently playing college golf.
Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, X and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 and 2025 Masters from Augusta National and was there by the 18th green to watch Rory McIlroy complete the career grand slam. He has also covered five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!
