The PGA of America has not decided that members of LIV Golf can’t play in the major championship.
The PGA of America, which runs the tournament, says that LIV Golf members will be able to play in the 2023 PGA Championship.
The PGA of America announced on Wednesday who can play in this year’s championship, which will be held from May 18-21 at Oak Hill in Rochester, New York.
CEO Seth Waugh said that the PGA Tour and LIV Golf are still at odds, but he said that the goal of the PGA Championship is to put on a competitive tournament with a strong field.
Waugh said, “We always make decisions based on what’s best for the PGA of America and how to run the best Championship possible.”
“Unfortunately, the way things are now in the professional game are not good for the sport or its future. We hope that things will get better soon. In the meantime, we will continue to focus on our mission to grow the game and improve the lives of our members, who work so hard every day to make a difference in millions of people’s lives.
On Tuesday, the R&A also said that eligible LIV Golf members would be able to play at the British Open at Royal Liverpool this summer.
Many of the people who belong to LIV Golf are exempt because the PGA of America has already set up exemption categories for them. Phil Mickelson will be exempt because he has won before. Cameron Smith will be exempt because he won the British Open last year. Mito Pereira and Brendan Steele will be exempt because they finished in the top 15 in last year’s PGA.
As part of the 105th PGA Championship announcement on Wednesday, a new type of exemption was added. On the International Federation Ranking List, the top three players will be asked to compete. On the list are golfers from the Asian Tour, the Japan Golf Tour, the PGA Tour of Australasia, and the Sunshine Tour in South Africa.
Waugh said, “This new category will help find current or up-and-coming international players who might not have had the chance to show off their skills at a Major Championship yet.”
There will be 156 golfers in the PGA Championship field, and the final list will be set on May 10.
