Trevor Ng
The PGA Championship is a major tournament that attracts the best golfers in the world. There are multiple ways to qualify for the tournament. Winning a PGA Championship guarantees a lifetime exemption to the tournament. Masters, US Open, and Open champions from the previous five years are also invited to play, as are the top 20 finishers from the PGA Professionals Championship. Winners of PGA TOUR co-sponsored or approved tournaments are also invited, as are the top 3 finishers on the DP World Tour Asian Swing event rankings. The PGA of America also reserves the right to invite additional players.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of players | 156 |
| Qualification routes | Many, including winning PGA Championship, Masters, US Open, The Open, Players Championship, and more |
| PGA Championship winners | Lifetime exemption |
| Masters, US Open, The Open, Players Championship winners | Invited if won in the previous 3-5 years |
| Top players on the DP World Tour Asian Swing | 3 |
| PGA of America members in the top 20 | Invited to play in the following year's tournament |
| Ryder Cup teams in 2023 | All playing members invited if in the top 100 of world rankings by May 5 |
| Winners on the PGA Tour | All qualify until the week before the 2025 PGA Championship |
| PGA Championship points | Top 70 players with the most points from the 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge through the 2025 CJ Cup Byron Nelson |
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What You'll Learn
Winners of PGA Tour co-sponsored tournaments
Winners of PGA Tour co-sponsored or approved tournaments, whose victories are considered official, are eligible to qualify for the PGA Championship. This eligibility extends to winners within the last two seasons or during the current season. Winners receive an additional season of exemption for each additional win, up to five seasons.
Past champions of the particular event being contested that week are also eligible if the tournament is co-sponsored by the PGA Tour and the same tournament organizer (not the title sponsor). Winners prior to July 28, 1970, receive unlimited exemptions, while winners after January 1, 2000, receive five seasons of exemptions.
Life Members, who have been active members of the PGA Tour for 15 years and have won at least 20 co-sponsored events, are also eligible. These members are ranked based on their competitive scoring average.
Additionally, the top finishers on the DP World Tour Asian Swing event rankings, including the Porsche Singapore Open, the Hero Indian Open, the ISPS Handa Championship, and the Volvo China Open, are eligible to qualify for the PGA Championship.
It's important to note that the PGA of America reserves the right to invite additional players who may not meet the above criteria if they see fit.
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Top 3 finishers on the DP World Tour Asian Swing
The DP World Tour Asian Swing is a series of golf tournaments that are part of the Race to Dubai, a season-long competition to crown the European Tour's number one player. The top three finishers on the DP World Tour Asian Swing rankings qualify for the PGA Championship. Here are the top three finishers from the 2024 DP World Tour Asian Swing:
- Sebastian Söderberg: The Swedish golfer topped the Asian Swing rankings in 2024, finishing 21st in Singapore, tied second in India, second at the ISPS Handa Championship in Japan, and tied third at the Volvo China Open. Söderberg earned a $200,000 bonus as the Swing winner and secured a spot in the 2024 US PGA Championship.
- Keita Nakajima: Nakajima, a Japanese golfer, won his maiden DP World Tour title during the Asian Swing in India. He finished in third place in the overall Asian Swing rankings, earning special exemption into the 2024 US PGA Championship.
- Adrian Otaegui: Otaegui, a Spanish golfer, won his first DP World Tour title of the season during the Asian Swing in China. He finished tied for third place in the overall Asian Swing rankings alongside Nakajima, securing the third and final spot in the 2024 US PGA Championship.
These three golfers qualified for the PGA Championship by finishing in the top three of the DP World Tour Asian Swing rankings. Other ways to qualify for the PGA Championship include winning PGA TOUR co-sponsored or approved tournaments, being a past winner of the PGA Championship, or receiving an invitation from the PGA of America.
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Masters champions from the previous 5 years
The PGA Championship is the second major tournament of the season and there are several ways for players to qualify. One of the criteria for qualification is that all Masters champions from the previous five years receive an invitation to play at the PGA Championship.
In 2020, Dustin Johnson set a record for the lowest winning score, with 268, 20-under-par. Johnson also won the 2020 Masters Tournament wire-to-wire, alongside Rory McIlroy, who won the 2025 Masters Tournament with a score of (-11).
The 2015 Masters Tournament was won by Jordan Spieth, who became one of only five golfers to have won the Masters wire-to-wire. The other four golfers are Craig Wood, who won in 1941, Arnold Palmer in 1960, Nicklaus in 1972, and Raymond Floyd in 1976.
Tiger Woods became the youngest Masters champion when he won in 1997 at the age of 21. Jack Nicklaus became the oldest Masters champion when he won in 1986 at the age of 46.
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Finish in the top 20 of the PGA Professionals Championship
To qualify for the PGA Championship through the PGA Professionals Championship, players must be members of the PGA of America. The top 20 finishers in the PGA Professionals Championship will receive an invitation to play in the following year's PGA Championship.
The PGA Professionals Championship is also known as the PGA Professional National Championship (PNC) or the Club Pro Championship. It is an event for club professionals and teachers. The PNC takes place over four rounds, and the site of the Championship rotates each year. After two rounds, the 312-player field is cut to the top 90 players, plus ties. Another 20 players are cut after the third round, leaving 70 players, plus ties, to compete in the final round. The top 20 finishers after the fourth round earn a spot in the PGA Championship.
Historically, players have needed to post a four-round total of around even par to advance to the PGA Championship. In the 10 PGA Professional Championships contested between 2011 and 2021, only twice did 20 or more players finish under par. In the other eight tournaments during that span, players ranging from 1-over to 5-over finished in the top 20.
The PGA Championship is golf's only all-professional major tournament. It is the second major tournament of the season and there are several ways to qualify. These include winning a PGA TOUR co-sponsored or approved tournament, finishing in the top three on the DP World Tour Asian Swing, and receiving a lifetime exemption for having previously won a PGA Championship.
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Winners on the PGA Tour until the week before the PGA Championship
The 2025 PGA Championship was held at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, from May 12 to May 18. The tournament was won by Xander Schauffele, who edged Bryson DeChambeau by a shot. This was Schauffele's first major title.
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the Professional Golfers' Association of America. It was first held in October 1916 at Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville, New York. The winner, Jim Barnes, received $500 and a diamond-studded gold medal. Over time, the tournament date has varied from May to December. After World War II, it was usually held in late May or June, then moved to July in 1953. Beginning in 2019, the tournament moved to the weekend before Memorial Day in May, as the season's second major following the Masters in April.
In addition to winning on the PGA Tour until the week before the PGA Championship, there are several other ways to qualify for the tournament. Winners of PGA Tour co-sponsored or approved tournaments whose victories are considered official will qualify. The top three finishers on the DP World Tour Asian Swing event rankings, including the Porsche Singapore Open and the Hero Indian Open, also qualify. All Masters, US Open, Open, and Players Champions from the previous three to five years receive an invite to play. All members of the USA and European Ryder Cup teams in 2023 will receive an invitation to play, provided they are in the top 100 of the world rankings by May 5. The PGA of America also reserves the right to invite additional players as they see fit.
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Frequently asked questions
There are several ways to qualify for the PGA Championship. Here are some of them:
- Winners of PGA TOUR co-sponsored or approved tournaments, whose victories are considered official.
- Finish in the top three on the DP World Tour Asian Swing by April 27.
- All Masters champions from the previous five years.
- All US Open champions from the previous five years.
- All Open champions from the previous five years.
- All Players Champions from the previous three years.
The PGA Championship field is capped at 156 players.
Technically, an amateur could play in the PGA Championship by qualifying for the U.S. Open, Masters, or British Open, then winning, or winning a PGA Tour event on a sponsor exemption.
The PGA Championship is the second major tournament of the season. It is golf's only all-professional major.
