Washington (AFP) – Tiger Woods and the world’s 103 top-ranked golfers were among those named Tuesday as the field was announced for next week’s 106th PGA Championship at Valhalla.
Woods, a 15-time major winner, has struggled to walk four rounds in tournaments since suffering severe leg injuries in a 2021 car crash but finished 60th in last month’s Masters and says he hopes to play once a month through the US and British Opens.
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Woods, ranked 801, has accepted a special invitation into next month’s US Open. He withdrew after three rounds in 2022 in his most recent PGA Championship start, skipping last year after ankle surgery.
Woods and four-time major winner Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland have each won PGA Championship titles at Valhalla — Woods in 2000 and McIlroy in 2014 in his most recent major triumph.
The PGA field includes 33 major winners, 16 of them former PGA Championship winners.
Two vacancies remain in the field of 156, awaiting winners of this week’s PGA Tour events if they are not already qualified for the showdown at Louisville, Kentucky.
The lineup includes top-ranked Scottie Scheffler, who won his second Masters title last month, and the rest of the top 103 players in the official world golf rankings.
Scheffler is skipping this week’s PGA Tour signature event to be with wife Meredith as she prepares to have a baby.
Defending champion Brooks Koepka of the United States is among 16 players from the LIV Golf League who will compete in the year’s second major tournament.
Other LIV players from the world’s top 100 include fifth-ranked Jon Rahm, England’s 17th-ranked Tyrrell Hatton, Australia’s Cameron Smith and Lucas Herbert, Poland’s Adrian Meronk, Chile’s Joaquin Niemann and American Patrick Reed.
Other major winners from LIV include Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Martin Kaymer.
American Talor Gooch, last year’s LIV season champion, was invited into his fifth consecutive PGA Championship.
His best result was a share of 20th in 2022 but he missed the cut last year.
The field includes 21 club professionals, 20 qualifiers, and Michael Block, who returns after sharing 15th last year at Oak Hill.
© 2024 AFP
