The 2018 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 two spots they have left open for winners of the Barracuda Championship and WGC-Bridgestone Invitational are not already exempt into the season's final 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.
2018 PGA Championship alternates
- Jason Kokrak -- IN (via Lee Westwood WD)
- Chris Kirk -- IN (takes spot left for WGC-Bridgestone winner)
- Andrew Putnam -- IN (won Barracuda Championship to get in)
- Kevin Streelman -- IN (via Thomas Bjorn WD)
- Kelly Kraft -- IN (via Louis Oosthuizen WD)
- Richy Werenski
- Joel Dahmen
- Harold Varner III
- Keith Mitchell
- Rory Sabbatini