LIV golfers had a good week at the Masters with 12 making the cut and Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson and Patrick Reed all in the top four.
Now, LIV will attempt to make another statement at next week's PGA Championship.
The PGA Championship field announced wednesday includes 18 golfers from the LIV Tour, one less than the number who qualify for the Masters. That list includes a dozen who have played in the Masters. Among them, Koepka and Mickelson tied for second four strokes behind jon Rahm; and Reid, who finished fourth.
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LIV golfers await their fate at the majors after leaving the PGA Tour last year. The final hurdle was cleared in February when the PGA of America released the 2023 eligibility requirements for this year's tournament in Rochester, New York, which begins May 18. This is in line with the Masters, US Open and British Open. Stating that LIV golfers were eligible if they met the eligibility criteria.
Joining Koepka, Mickelson and Reed among the LIV golfers at the PGA Championship are Abraham Ensor, Dean Burmester, Paul Casey, Bryson DeChambeau, Taylor Gooch, Dustin Johnson, Martin Cammer, Sihwan Kim, Anirban Lahiri, Joaquin Niemann, Mito Pereira, Thomas Peters will be , Cameron Smith, Brendan Steele and Harold Warner III.
Mickelson (2021, 2005), Koepka (2019, 2018) and Kamer (2010) are past PGA Championship winners. Pereira birdied the final hole at Southern Hills last year but finished third after a double bogey.
The 54-hole format of the LIV raised some questions about whether LIV golfers could lose their edge heading into the final round of the 72-hole event. That was answered, with three LIV golfers in the top five at the Masters, despite Koepka's worst round on Sunday when he relinquished a two-shot lead entering the final round.
“We're still the same people,” Koepka said. “I know that if I'm healthy, I know that I can compete. I don't think any player who has played in this competition would have thought otherwise. I think it's just manufactured by the media that now we Can't compete; that we're washed up.”
PGA ChampionshipMay 18–21Oak Hill East Course, Rochester, NYFirst-round coverage, 11 AM, ESPN; 1 PM, ESPN/ESPN2 Second Round, 1 PM, ESPN Third Round, 1 PM, CBSF Final Round, 1 PM, CBSdefending champion: Jupiter's Justin Thomas
purse:
$15,000,000
This article was originally published on the Palm Beach Post: PGA Championship Releases Full Field List Including 18 LIV Golfers