There won't be a surprise appearance by Tiger Woods at the PGA Championship, with the 15-time major winner officially out as he recovers from ankle surgery.
The entry list for the second major of the year, set for May 18-21 at Oak Hill Country Club in Pittsford, NY, was released with Woods' name missing. Jordan Spieth withdrew from this week's AT&T Byron Nelson in Dallas, his hometown, citing a left wrist injury but is listed on the entry list for the PGA.
Spieth, 29, needs a win at the PGA Championship to complete his career Grand Slam. He counts the US Open and Masters Tournament (both 2015) and The Open Championship (2017) among his 13 PGA Tour titles.
Also on the entry list is defending champion Justin Thomas, who defeated Will Zalatoris in a playoff to win the 2022 event at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla. Zalatoris, who is out for the year after surgery to relieve the pain caused by a herniated disk, is the only player ranked in the top 10 who is not expected at Oak Hill.
The field includes the hottest golfer in any league, Talor Gooch, who has won the past two LIV Golf tournaments. He will be joined by several LIV participants, including 2021 PGA winner Phil Mickelson, 2018-19 champion Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Bryson Dechambeau and Cameron Smith of Australia, who is ranked eighth in the world.
Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, who won the 2012 and 2014 PGA Championship, could have a home-course advantage as he seeks his first major win in nine years. His wife, Erica Stoll, is a Rochester-area native, and he is a member at Oak Hill.
Reuters
