From January through November, the PGA Tour schedule has events week in and week out. These events are played all over the world, with a variety of host courses of different lengths and architects. The tournaments feature purses of various sizes. The field for each tournament is also unique, too.
Every week, the PGA Tour field list is different. The qualifying criteria for each tournament is different, and the maximum number of players is different as well.
How PGA Tour field size is determined
The PGA Tour determines field size in a variety of different ways. The biggest breakdowns are based on the time of year and whether the tournament is considered an open event or an invitational.
PGA Tour events that are considered open field tournament feature fields of 132, 144 or 156 players. They typically have four open qualifiers through a Monday qualifying tournament, and players who finish in the top 10 of the prior tournament can automatically slot into these fields as a reward for their high finish. If the tournaments are played at a time of year where daylight hours are an issue, the field will be 132 players. Otherwise, the field could be 144 players or 156 players.
If a tournament is not considered an open event, it could fall into a number of categories, all under the umbrella of Special Eligibility. It could be an invitational tournament, which features a field of 120 players. A tournament could be part of the FedEx Cup playoffs, which has event sizes based strictly on the FedEx Cup standings at the time they're played. Some no-cut events have 78-player fields.
The WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play field is 64 players. The players in this field must qualify.
Tournaments played opposite PGA Tour events and the British Open Championship are called opposite-field events. The all have a field size of 120 players. Only players who did not qualify for the main event can compete.
The Sentry Tournament of Champions, which starts the year, is an invitational event, with only winners since the previous Tournament of Champions earning a spot. There are no alternates.
The Players Championship has a field of 144 players.
Major championship field sizes
The four men's major championships are not controlled by the PGA Tour. They have their own respective field sizes. The US Open, the British Open Championship and the PGA Championship all have 156-player fields, with alternates.
The Masters Tournament, however, is an invitational. There is no cap on the field, but players can only compete on an invitation after meeting the club's published criteria or getting a special invitation. The field is typically around 90-95 players.
PGA Tour event field sizes
| EVENT | PLAYERS |
|---|---|
| Sanderson Farms Championship | 144 |
| Fortinet Championship | 144 |
| Shriners Open | 144 |
| Houston Open | 144 |
| The CJ Cup | 78 |
| Zozo Championship | 78 |
| Butterfield Bermuda Championship | 144 |
| World Wide Technology Championship | 132 |
|
| |
| The RSM Classic | 156 |
| Sentry Tournament of Champions | N/A |
| Sony Open in Hawaii | 144 |
| The American Express | 156 |
| Farmers Insurance Open | 156 |
| Waste Management Phoenix Open | 132 |
| AT&T Pebble Beach Pro | 156 |
| The Genesis Invitational | 120 |
|
| |
| Puerto Rico Open | 120 |
| Arnold Palmer Invitational | 120 |
| The Players Championship | 144 |
| Valspar Championship | 144 |
| WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play | 64 |
| Corales Puntacana Championship | 120 |
| Valero Texas Open | 144 |
| Masters Tournament | N/A |
|
| |
| RBC Heritage | 132 |
| Zurich Classic of New Orleans | 160 |
| Wells Fargo Championship | 156 |
| AT&T Byron Nelson | 156 |
| PGA Championship | 156 |
| Charles Schwab Challenge | 120 |
| Rocket Mortgage Classic | 156 |
| the Memorial Tournament | 120 |
|
| |
| RBC Canadian Open | 156 |
| U.S. Open | 156 |
| Travelers Championship | 156 |
| Barracuda Championship | 120 |
| John Deere Classic | 156 |
| The Open Championship | 156 |
| Barbasol Championship | 120 |
| 3M Open | 156 |
|
| |
| Wyndham Championship | 156 |
| FedEx St. Jude Championship | 70 |
| BMW Championship | 50 |
| Tour Championship | 30 |
