Here Are All 16 LIV Golfers in the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club

The PGA of America gave several special invitations to players from the Saudi-backed league, in addition to those already exempt.

Brooks Koepka, Cameron Smith, Talor Gooch and Jon Rahm are all players to watch this week at the PGA. / USA TODAY Sports

Golf’s second major of 2024 is here, and fans can rejoice in how PGA Tour-LIV Golf squabbles are put aside with players from both sides settling matters on the course.

And the PGA of America has helped LIV Golf bring a sizable contingent to Valhalla Golf Club.

A bit more than 10% of the field—16 of 156 players—is from the Saudi-backed league, up from nine players a year ago at the PGA won by LIV’s Brooks Koepka. Koepka and eight other players were exempt into the field based on various criteria, and seven accepted special invitations. The PGA of America has significant leeway to invite whoever it wants, and it saw fit to invite perhaps a larger number of LIV players than many expected.

Thirteen players from LIV Golf were in the field at last month’s Masters.

Here are all 16 in order of Official World Golf Ranking, with how they qualified, recent history and outlook.

Jon Rahm

OWGR: 5th
How qualified: Won 2023 Masters
Recent history: Second in 2024 LIV points standings, T45 at Masters
Skinny: LIV’s seismic offseason signing hasn’t won yet but hasn’t played poorly either with four top-5 finishes and just one outside the top 10. Had a disappointing Masters defense but will have less pressure this week.

Tyrrell Hatton

OWGR: 18th
How qualified: T15 in 2023 PGA Championship
Recent history: T5 LIV Golf Singapore, T9 at Masters
Skinny: Fiery Englishman comes in off his best LIV finish. On a streak of nine consecutive made cuts in majors with five top-20 finishes.

Brooks Koepka

OWGR: 39th
How qualified: Won 2018, 2019, 2023 PGA Championship
Recent history: Won LIV Golf Singapore, T45 at Masters
Skinny: The defending champion has his swagger back after winning two weeks ago and lives for majors. A third PGA would put him in rarefied air; only Tiger Woods has won as many in the last four decades.

Cameron Smith

OWGR: 61st
How qualified: Won 2022 British Open
Recent history: Second at LIV Golf Singapore, T6 at Masters
Skinny: Indifferent LIV season got a boost in Singapore, the short-game ace has four top-9 finishes in last six majors starting with the 2022 win at St. Andrews.

Adrian Meronk

OWGR: 65th
How qualified: Special exemption
Recent history: T13 LIV Golf Singapore, missed cut at the Masters
Skinny: The PGA traditionally invites all players inside the top 100 in the world, and Meronk remains there after three DP World Tour wins in the 2023 season. Was T40 in first PGA appearance last year. 

Lucas Herbert

OWGR: 90th
How qualified: Special exemption
Recent history: T29 LIV Golf Singapore
Skinny: The Aussie did not qualify for the Masters and only has one top-15 finish all year on LIV. Was T13 at the 2022 PGA. 

Joaquin Niemann

OWGR: 91st
How qualified: Special exemption
Recent history: T8 LIV Golf Singapore, two-time winner earlier in year, T22 Masters
Skinny: The Chilean got a special invite from the Masters for globetrotting that included an Australian Open win and played well off it. Now will make 14th consecutive major start, a streak that could be harder to maintain if he falls outside the top 100 in the world.

Patrick Reed

OWGR: 93rd
How qualified: Special exemption
Recent history: T15 LIV Golf Singapore, T12 Masters
Skinny: The 2018 Masters champ remains inside the top 100 after a decent Masters but his LIV season hasn’t been notable as he’s 30th in season points.

David Puig

OWGR: 109th
How qualified: Special exemption
Recent history: T27 LIV Golf Singapore
Skinny: The 22-year-old Spaniard won twice in the offseason on the Asian Tour, which is looked favorably upon. His only other major start is a T39 in the 2023 U.S. Open.

Bryson DeChambeau

OWGR: 124th
How qualified: Won 2020 U.S. Open
Recent history: T28 LIV Golf Singapore, T6 Masters
Skinny: Had a three-event stretch of top-7 finishes in LIV before a pair of T28 efforts, led after 36 holes at Augusta before fading on weekend. T4 at last year’s PGA.

Dean Burmester

OWGR: 133rd
How qualified: Special exemption
Recent history: T17 LIV Golf Singapore, won LIV Golf Miami
Skinny: The Zimbabwean is third in LIV points and won back-to-back late last year on the DP World Tour, perhaps all of that factored into being allowed to make his fourth straight PGA Championship start.

Phil Mickelson

OWGR: 160th
How qualified: Won 2005, 2021 PGA Championship
Recent history: T22 LIV Golf Singapore, T43 Masters
Skinny: The 53-year-old hasn’t shown much form this season, 34th in LIV points with one top-10 finish. 

Andy Ogletree

OWGR: 220th
How qualified: Top 3, International Federation OWGR list
Recent history: T45 LIV Golf Singapore
Skinny: The 26-year-old Georgia Tech grad had his best LIV Golf finish two events ago, a T5 in Adelaide, and now makes his first major start since 2020.

Dustin Johnson

OWGR: 392nd
How qualified: Won 2020 Masters
Recent history: T7 LIV Golf Singapore, missed cut at the Masters
Skinny: The 2022 LIV Golf season champion won his third career LIV event in February in Las Vegas then didn’t have another top-10 until two weeks ago at Singapore. Has five top-10s in the PGA, the last being T2 in 2020.

Talor Gooch

OWGR: 668th
How qualified: Special exemption
Recent history: T4 LIV Golf Singapore
Skinny: The most polarizing LIV golfer in the field said in February that a potential Rory McIlroy Grand Slam would have an asterisk for not being against all the game’s best. This could be Gooch’s only major start of the year as he wasn’t invited to the Masters and said he won’t qualify for the Opens.

Martin Kaymer

OWGR: 4,338th
How qualified: Won 2010 PGA Championship
Recent history: T20 LIV Golf Singapore
Skinny: The 39-year-old German is set at the PGA thanks to his win at Whistling Straits but his last made cut was 2018. He’s 42nd in LIV points with a best finish of T14.