How To Qualify For The PGA Championship
The second men's Major of the year features the strongest field in golf


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How To Qualify For The PGA Championship
The PGA Championship features the strongest field in golf, with all of the world's top 100 usually teeing it up in pursuit of the famed Wanamaker Trophy. So how do you qualify?
The championship is unique in that it reserves 20 places for club professionals, who qualify through the PGA Professional Championship.
The PGA Championship is also the only Major that does not invite amateurs, billing itself as the professional-only Major.
So, what exactly would you have to do to qualify for the field at Southern Hills Country Club this year?
You must be:
- A former winner of the PGA Championship
- A winner of one of the last five US Opens
- A winner of one of the last five Masters
- A winner of one of the last five Open Championships
- A winner of one of the last three Players Championships
- The most recent Senior PGA Champion
- One of the players to finish in the top 15 at last year's tournament, including ties
- In the top 70 of the PGA Championship Points standings
- One of the the top 20 finishers in the the PGA Professional Championship
- A winner of a PGA Tour-approved tournament since the last PGA Championship
- One of the 2020 United States and European Ryder Cup team players (must be ranked inside world's top 100)
- Additional players can also be invited, even if they don't qualify under the above exemptions.
With this criteria, the tournament often attracts almost all of the world's top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking, and top 100 players who aren't qualified will likely receive exemptions.
Note: Alternatives (reserves) will be added, if needed, via the PGA Championship Points system, i.e number 71 in the standings will be 1st reserve if not already qualified. It then goes down the list.
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Elliott Heath is our Senior Staff Writer and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news, features, courses and travel sections as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as four 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 at West Byfleet Golf Club in Surrey, where his handicap index floats anywhere between 2-5. 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!
Elliott is currently playing:
Driver: Titleist TSR4
3 wood: TaylorMade SIM2 Max
Hybrid: TaylorMade SIM Max
Irons: Mizuno MP5 4-PW
Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58
Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5
Ball: TaylorMade TP5x
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