The 2020 PGA Championship field of 156 players is made up of predominantly of exempt players from a variety exemption categories, with no open qualifiers except (technically) through the PGA of America Professional Championship.
The PGA of America also produces a PGA Championship alternate list, determining which players get in the field when others already in the field withdraw.
The PGA of America will pull from the PGA Championship alternate list to fill the field of 156 players, particularly if the spot they have left open for winners of the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational and Barracuda Championship are not already exempt into the season's first major.
Then there are all the players that could potentially withdraw the week of the PGA Championship with injury or other problems.
The PGA Championship alternate list is quoted 10 deep as a bit of an ode to John Daly, who won as the ninth alternate in 1991. The alternate list is based on the money list since last year's PGA Championship to the week prior to the championship.
2020 PGA Championship alternates
- Talor Gooch - IN, via Padraig Harrington WD
- Troy Merritt - IN, via Francesco Molinari WD
- Russell Henley - IN, via Paul Waring WD
- Wyndham Clark - IN, via JB Holmes WD
- Brian Stuard - IN, via Charles Howell III WD
- Bud Cauley - IN, via Branden Grace WD
- Ryan Moore - IN, filling slot reserved for WGC FedEx St. Jude Invitational winner
- Denny McCarthy - IN, via John Daly WD
- Emiliano Grillo - IN, via Vijay Singh WD
- Xinjun Zhang - IN, via Ryan Moore WD
- Alex Noren
- Pat Perez
- Henrik Norlander
- Scott Brown
- Maverick McNealy
- Nick Watney
- Brice Garnett
