PGA Championship qualification criteria: How do golfers qualify for the tournament?

The PGA Championship will return to the esteemed Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, in 2024.

This famous golf course will be the stage for the tournament from Monday, May 13, to Sunday, May 19, 2024. The three PGA Championships held here (1996, 2000, 2014) and the Ryder Cup (2008) stand out as the biggest events. Six years after the club opened, in 1992, it was awarded the 1996 PGA Championship. The PGA of America believed that the club could provide a challenge to the best players in the world. They also believed Louisville was a supportive community with many transportation, accommodations, and entertainment options available to support the Championship in one central location.

The Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C., has been confirmed as the venue for the 2025 PGA Championship.

PGA Championship qualification criteria

To be eligible for the PGA Championship, golfers must meet specific criteria, which may change yearly and allow exceptions in exceptional circumstances.

Winning the tournament in the past five years or any other three major championships during the same period qualifies a golfer for the tournament.

Similarly, securing victory in any of the PGA Tour’s flagship events, such as The Players Championship, WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, Arnold Palmer Invitational, and Genesis Invitational, within the past year is also valid. A golfer can also earn a spot by winning any PGA Tour event between the previous year’s PGA Championship and the current year’s event.

Alternatively, finishing in the top 70 in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup standings from the previous season, finishing in the top 20 in last year’s PGA Championship, finishing in the top 30 of the Korn Ferry Tour Finals (for players who didn’t qualify for the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Playoffs), allowing for the previous year’s season-ending Tour Championship, or being selected by the PGA of America as a special exemption also qualifies a golfer.

Club professionals can secure a spot in the PGA Championship by finishing in the top 70 of the PGA Professional Championship or by being selected by the PGA of America as a special exemption. It’s important to note that these qualification criteria change each year, and exceptions can be made for exceptional circumstances.