Golf’s 2024 men’s Major season is well under way. It feels like yesterday Scottie Scheffler continued his incredible run of form to slip on his second Green Jacket but before you know it, it’ll be time for the PGA Championship.
Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky will host 156 of the best players in the game from May 16-19 as they battle it out for the Wanamaker Trophy.
And as with every men’s Major at the moment, there will be the added intrigue of the PGA Tour v LIV Golf battle.
Given the ongoing stalemate between the two sides of the great divide, the Majors have taken on even greater significance as they are now the only tournaments on the men’s schedule that bring together all the top players.
So, with that in mind, here is a rundown of all the LIV players exempt for this year’s PGA Championship.
LIV players exempt for the PGA Championship
Brooks Koepka will be at Valhalla, barring unforeseen circumstances, as a past champion. LIV’s Smash GC captain lifted the Wanamaker Trophy for a third time at Oak Hill almost 12 months ago, repelling Viktor Hovland to land his fifth Major.
Like Koepka, Phil Mickelson will be among the starters when the gun goes off having previously won the event.
He captured his first PGA Championship in 2005 at Baltusrol before creating history at Kiawah Island in 2021 as he fended off the world’s best to etch his name onto the Wanamaker Trophy for a second time and become the oldest-ever winner of a Major.
Martin Kaymer
Cleeks GC’s Martin Kaymer also has a pass into the PGA Championship for life. The German prevailed in a playoff to beat his fellow LIV player Bubba Watson and clinch the 2010 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits.
Winners of the last five Masters titles are also exempt for the PGA Championship, meaning Jon Rahm, who claimed a maiden Green Jacket in 2023, will be at Valhalla.
Rahm will be joined in the field as a recent Masters champion by Dustin Johnson, although this is the 4Aces GC captain’s final year of that particular exemption.
Similarly, the last five US Open champions qualify. That means Bryson DeChambeau, who cruised to a six-shot victory in 2020 at Winged Foot, is also in.
Australian and Ripper GC captain Cameron Smith produced an epic final round at the 2022 Open at St Andrews to lift the Claret Jug and will be exempt into the PGA Championship until at least 2027 as a result.
Rounding out those who are certain to feature at Valhalla is Tyrrell Hatton. The Englishman is the only non-Major winner on the list but secured a spot in the field this year thanks to a T15 finish in 2023.
Others LIV hopefuls
As per the PGA of America’s qualifying criteria, anyone in the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking the week before the event usually receives an invite.
As it stands, that would give Adrian Meronk (61), Lucas Herbert (84), Joaquin Niemann (85) and Patrick Reed (87) a chance to join their fellow LIV members.
2024 PGA Championship qualifying criteria
- All former winners of the PGA Championship;
- Winners of the last five Masters (2020-24);
- Winners of the last five U.S. Opens (2019-23);
- Winners of the last five Open Championships (2018-23);
- Winners of the last three Players Championships (2022-24);
- Top three on the International Federation Official World Golf Ranking List as of April 29
- Winner of 2023 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship;
- The top 15 finishers and ties from the 2023 PGA Championship;
- The top 20 finishers from the 2024 PGA Professional Championship;
- The top 70 players who are eligible and have earned the most PGA Championship points from the 2023 Charles Schwab Challenge through the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson (ending May 5);
- Playing members of the last named US and European Ryder Cup teams (2023), provided they remain in the top 100 on the Official World Golf Ranking as of May 6;
- Winners of PGA Tour co-sponsored or approved tournaments whose victories are considered official, from the 2023 Charles Schwab Challenge through the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship and Myrtle Beach Classic (ending May 12);
- The PGA of America reserves the right to invite additional players not included in the categories listed above (the PGA has traditionally invited the top 100 from the OWGR as of the week before the championship);
- 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 through the same time period as criteria No. 10, in order of their position on such a list.
