He US PGA Championship official have Tiger Woods in a ‘field’ (registration) released this Wednesday that includes invitations to seven players from LIV Golf, funded by Saudi Arabia, giving this ‘major’ a share of 99 out of the top 100 in the world ranking in Valhalla (Louisville, Kentucky) next Sunday.
The PGA of America strives to have the top 100 in the world to maintain its reputation for putting together the best registry in the world. four Grand Slams, although it is not part of the standard. Those hopes ended on Tuesday when Rikuya Hoshino (#94) has retired.
The PGA relies on a general category of “special invitations.” Included in the LIV player group Patrick Reed, that tie for 12th at the Masters puts him in the top 100. He is ranked 92nd, and the invitation kept alive his streak of playing in every major since the 2014 Masters.
The PGA Championship returns to Valhalla for the fourth time on May 16-19. Rory McIlroy he last won here in 2014. The course is known for Woods taking a playoff against Bob May in 2000 for his third straight major.
Joaquín Niemann, who won the Australian Open in December and has two wins at LIV Golf this year, has already received an invitation. The surprise was the announcement of Talor Gooch in a post on X on Monday that he was invited. This is a sign that the PGA of America selection committee is looking at the LIV results on its own, as Gooch does not play much outside of the Saudi league. He won LIV three times in 2023 and topped the season points list.
Other invitations are to Dean Burmester, Lucas Herbert and Adrian Meronk, they are all in the top 100 in the world. The seventh is for David Puig The 22-year-old Spaniard is ranked 106th in the world ranking. Puig has finished in the top 10 in six of his last seven tournaments on the Asian Tour, including two victories.
LIV will be represented by 16 players, down from 18 last year. There may be one more, but the 2010 British Open champion Louis Oosthuizenranked 125th in the world, declined the invitation as he had other personal commitments.
Included in the LIV group defending champion Brooks Koepka, going for his fourth PGA Championship title. Also in the hero of 2023, the PGA Professional Michael Block, who qualified by finishing in the top 15 last year at Oak Hill. The PGA is keeping two spots open in case the winners of the Wells Fargo Championship and Myrtle Beach Classic are disqualified.
Source: La Verdad
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