18 LIV GOLF LEAGUE MEMBERS EARN INVITES TO PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
BROKEN ARROW, Okla. – The PGA Championship unveiled its full-field list Wednesday for next week’s major, and 18 LIV Golf League members will be among the 156 players competing at Oak Hill Country Club.
The list includes PGA Championship winners Martin Kaymer, Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson as well as recent major winners Bryon DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed along with reigning Open champion Cameron Smith.
Mickelson is playing the PGA for the first time since winning in 2021 at age 50 when he became the oldest winner of a major championship.
Mito Pereira and Brendan Steele received invites thanks to their top 15 finishes in last year’s PGA at Southern Hills in Tulsa. Pereira was the leader thru his first 71 holes and finished one shot out of the playoff won by Justin Thomas.
Among the players earning spots due to their top 100 world ranking include Joaquin Niemann, Abraham Ancer, Thomas Pieters, Talor Gooch, Harold Varner III, Dean Burmester and Anirban Lahiri. Gooch has won the last two LIV Golf League tournaments and is one of the favorites in his home state at this week’s LIV Golf Tulsa.
Sihwan Kim made the field thanks to his No. 3 spot on the International Federation Ranking list.
Paul Casey received an invitation despite being outside the top 100. Casey tied for fourth in 2021 but was unable to play last year due to a back injury.
The 18 players represent 11 of the 12 teams in the LIV Golf League. Crushers GC (Casey, DeChambeau, Lahiri) and RangeGoats GC (Gooch, Pieters, Lahiri) have the most with three each.
Eighteen LIV Golf players also competed at last month’s Masters, with Koepka and Mickelson tying for second while Reed tied for fourth.
The PGA Championship begins May 18. Here is the list of LIV Golf League players in the field:
Abraham Ancer (Fireballs GC)
Dean Burmester (Stinger GC)
Paul Casey (Crushers GC)
Bryson DeChambeau (Crushers GC)
Talor Gooch (RangeGoats GC)
Dustin Johnson (4Aces GC)
Martin Kaymer (Cleeks GC)
Sihwan Kim (Iron Heads GC)
Brooks Koepka (Smash GC)
Anirban Lahiri (Crushers GC)
Phil Mickelson (HyFlyers GC)
Joaquin Niemann (Torque GC)
Mito Pereira (Torque GC)
Thomas Pieters (RangeGoats GC)
Patrick Reed (4Aces GC)
Cameron Smith (Ripper GC)
Brendan Steele (HyFlyers GC)
Harold Varner III (RangeGoats GC)