PGA Championship: history, format, and significance in men's golf

Format and qualification

The modern PGA Championship is contested over 72 holes of stroke play, with a 36‑hole cut to reduce the field for the final two rounds. The field typically comprises around 156 players, including leading international touring professionals, past major champions, high world‑ranking players and a number of club professionals who qualify through national competitions.

• Primary invitations: recent tour winners, top finishers in the previous PGA Championship, and top earners in major tours.
• Special pathways: top members of the Official World Golf Ranking and champions from designated tournaments.
• Club professionals: qualifiers from the PGA Professional Championship represent the organizing association's membership.

Origins and development

First staged in the early 20th century by the PGA of America, the tournament has evolved considerably. It began as a match‑play event and switched to 72‑hole stroke play in the late 1950s to align with other major championships. In recent decades the event's place on the golf calendar has shifted, and since 2019 it has regularly been played in the spring, making it the second major of the year in contemporary scheduling.

Venues rotate among championship courses known for length, demanding greens and strategic design; many well‑known American courses have hosted the championship multiple times. The organizing body adapts course setup to test every aspect of elite tournament play, from driving and iron play to short game and putting.

The PGA Championship is important for players seeking major titles and career milestones. It carries significant prize money, world ranking points and a central place in debates about career grand slams. Notable champions from different eras have enhanced the event's prestige, and its mix of touring stars and club professionals gives the field a distinctive character.

Over time the PGA Championship has retained traditions—most visibly the Wanamaker Trophy—while changing competitive details such as playoff formats and qualification criteria. Its distinction as a major organized by the PGA of America and its inclusive qualification routes remain among the features that set it apart from other championships.