Two of golf's biggest names will be missing from the PGA Championship this year, but one surprise entry has fans buzzing. Tiger Woods has officially withdrawn from the tournament, and Phil Mickelson has also pulled out—marking only his second LIV Golf event this season as he deals with a family health matter. The 154-player field was announced for Aronimink Golf Club, and the absence of these legends leaves a noticeable gap.
But here's the twist that caught everyone off guard: Dustin Johnson has been granted a special invitation to compete. Despite losing his automatic eligibility last year, the former world No. 1 is thrilled for the opportunity. "I want to play in all the majors," Johnson said from LIV Golf Virginia. "I feel like my game is still good enough to compete with everyone and still can win. The PGA was nice enough to give me an invitation. So yeah, I'm very, very happy and thankful for that."
The PGA of America held back two spots in case winners of the Truist Championship and Myrtle Beach Classic weren't already qualified. Scottie Scheffler returns as the defending champion at this second major of the year, which heads back to Aronimink for the first time since Gary Player's victory in 1972. Johnson is one of 30 players who competed there during the 2018 BMW Championship—a rain-soaked event that Keegan Bradley finally won in a Monday playoff against Justin Rose.
The PGA Championship committee remains the most secretive among majors when filling its field, issuing 33 special invitations this year. Most went to players inside the top 100 of the world rankings, though the committee stretched a bit to ensure no one slipped in last-minute. Invitations went to Andy Sullivan of England (ranked 102), Angel Ayora of Spain (103), Keith Mitchell (104), Chandler Blanchet (106), and Billy Horschel (107).
Beyond the top 70, the field is filled using the PGA points list—based on official PGA Tour earnings over the past 12 months. That leaves Canada's Sudarshan Yellamaraju as the highest-ranked player not yet eligible at No. 80. For fans, the mix of veteran stars and rising talents promises plenty of drama at Aronimink.