Dustin Johnson’s special invitation to the 2026 PGA Championship has divided golf fans. Some believe the two-time major champion deserves a place because of his career record, while others argue the spot should have gone to a player with stronger recent form.
The reaction grew after the PGA of America added Johnson to the field despite his recent major struggles and low world ranking. Johnson said he was “very, very thankful” and “very honored” to receive the invite, but the decision still sparked debate over whether major fields should reward past success, current performance, or star power.
A famous name returns
Johnson’s most recent major title came at the 2020 Masters, and his prime years featured a No. 1 world ranking and one of the sport’s most feared combinations of power and touch.
The PGA of America used a discretionary invitation to put him in this year’s PGA Championship field, giving him a path to a major he has never won. It is the kind of move that can look obvious to casual fans and controversial to people who track every exemption category.
The real question isn’t whether Johnson can still produce championship golf in any given week, because he has already proved his ceiling. It is whether a major should spend a scarce roster spot on potential rather than performance, especially when so many players chase the same opportunities through qualifying and weekly results. Because LIV players can’t earn traditional ranking points, the system blurs the line between “not eligible” and “not in form,” and organizers have to deal with it.
How the PGA field works
The PGA of America runs the PGA Championship with a traditional 156-player field set by wins and results. Twenty PGA club professionals qualify through the PGA Professional Championship, tightening competition for the remaining spots.
The PGA of America can issue special invitations when players miss automatic categories. Those invites draw scrutiny because they can add stars while leaving out players who qualified on form.
Johnson’s post-LIV résumé
Since Johnson joined LIV Golf in 2022, he has stayed a marquee name, but his major results have looked uneven compared with his peak. He last posted a major top-10 at the 2023 U.S. Open, showing his game can still travel when everything lines up. Still, he hasn’t delivered the steady run of major contention that once made him a near-automatic factor, which is why this invitation draws debate instead of applause.
Johnson has also tumbled in the Official World Golf Ranking, in part because LIV events do not award OWGR points. That drop matters because OWGR remains one of the cleanest pathways into major fields, and a low rank can force even proven winners to rely on exemptions. Data-based models like DataGolf can rate players differently, but most major entry routes still hinge on formal exemption categories, and the ranking system fans know best.
Fun fact: Dustin Johnson’s special invitation keeps alive a long major streak: Golf Monthly reports the 2026 PGA Championship would extend his run of consecutive major appearances to 69, dating back to the 2008 PGA Championship.
Woods and Mickelson out
Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson won’t play the 2026 PGA Championship, the second straight major this year without either star. The PGA of America released the field Tuesday for May 14–17 at Aronimink Golf Club outside Philadelphia. The list did not include Woods, and reports say he’s in a private treatment program in Switzerland after his March DUI arrest.
USGA CEO Mike Whan told “Sports Illustrated” he would be “super surprised” if Woods is ready for the U.S. Open in June. Mickelson remains away while dealing with what he has described as a personal family health matter. He missed the Masters and all but one LIV Golf event this season for the same reason.
Little-known fact: The 2026 PGA Championship field includes 20 PGA of America Golf Professionals, a unique part of the PGA Championship field compared with other majors.
Homa added as an alternate
Mickelson formally withdrew Tuesday afternoon, and Max Homa moved into the field as the first alternate. Homa had not otherwise qualified after a poor 2025 that included a tie for 60th at the PGA and missed cuts at the U.S. Open and Open Championship. He has played better in 2026, highlighted by a tie for ninth at the Masters.
After Homa’s addition, Sudarshan Yellamaraju of Canada became the first alternate, and Tom Hoge the second. Six-time PGA Tour winner Tony Finau sits as the fifth alternate and would need multiple withdrawals to get in. The field list adjustment underscored how tight the final entry spots have become.
Johnson was invited, and the field was set
Dustin Johnson also appeared in Tuesday’s field list after receiving a special invitation from the PGA of America. The two-time major champion has struggled in recent seasons while playing LIV Golf, but the invite keeps him in the major picture. Johnson said he was “very, very thankful” for the invitation and “very honored” to receive it.
The 2026 field includes 15 past PGA champions and the traditional 20 PGA of America teaching professionals. As of Tuesday, the field stood at 154 players, with two final spots reserved for the winners of the Truist Championship and Myrtle Beach Classic if not already qualified. Those late-week results will finalize the 156-player field heading into Aronimink.
TL;DR
- Dustin Johnson, a two-time major champion, received a special invitation to this year’s PGA Championship.
- He last won a major at the 2020 Masters and has never won the PGA Championship.
- The PGA Championship field is 156 players and includes 20 PGA club professionals.
- LIV Golf events do not award Official World Golf Ranking points, complicating major access for LIV players.
- Fans are split between prioritizing star power and prioritizing current performance and merit-based qualification.
- Johnson’s result this week could influence how future discretionary invitations are viewed.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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