What's In The Bag Database & Tour StatsQualifying cycle for the 109th PGA Championship has not yet opened. The first cutoffs (top-100 OWGR, Players Championship winners, Senior PGA winner) land in spring 2027. Aaron Rai is the only confirmed entrant as defending champion.
The 109th PGA Championship moves to PGA Frisco — the PGA of America's new Texas headquarters and one of the longest, most modern major venues ever built. Fields Ranch East, designed by Beau Welling with Gil Hanse consulting, opened in 2023 and was purpose-built to host majors: prairie-style fairways, native fescue waste areas, and a brawling 7,800-yard scorecard for the men. Aaron Rai returns as defending champion after his breakthrough win at Aronimink in May 2026, while the 156-player field — including 20 PGA Club Professionals — won't be set until late April 2027.
The last five winners of this championship — chronological, newest first. The most recent name returns as defending champion.
A live timeline of every qualifying event feeding the championship. Completed events show their winners; upcoming events show their dates and stakes.
2026 PGA Championship — Aronimink
Aaron Rai claimed his first major and the Wanamaker Trophy at Aronimink, earning the lifetime past-champion exemption and the defending-champion slot at PGA Frisco.
2026 U.S. Open — Shinnecock Hills
Winner earns a 5-year PGA Championship exemption.
2026 Open Championship — Royal Birkdale
Winner earns a 5-year PGA Championship exemption.
2027 Senior PGA Championship
The reigning Senior PGA champion earns one of the rare cross-major exemptions.
2027 PGA Professional Championship
Top 20 finishers earn PGA Championship spots — the criterion that defines the PGA Championship.
2027 PGA Championship Points — final cutoff
Top 70 on the PGA Championship Points list (rolling money window from the previous PGA) earn exemptions.
OWGR Top-100 Cutoff (May 2027)
Top-100 Ryder Cup-eligible exemptions verified ahead of the championship.
Every confirmed player, grouped by qualifying pathway. Click a player to view their bag.40 / 156
Frisco, Texas
Fields Ranch East anchors PGA Frisco — the PGA of America's relocated headquarters on a 600-acre property in north Texas. The course was designed from the ground up to host major championships, with multiple tees, sprawling collection areas, and tournament-grade native fescue. PGA Frisco is contracted to host two PGA Championships in the 2027-2034 window and multiple KPMG Women's PGAs in between, making it the first purpose-built modern major venue in the PGA of America's history. The 2027 PGA will be the men's first.
The complete list of qualifying criteria — even those nobody has yet earned. Most players qualify through more than one path.
All living winners of the PGA Championship have lifetime competitive eligibility. The field rotates as champions choose to play or not.
Winners of the Masters from the last five years. The 2026 Masters at Augusta was won by Rory McIlroy.
Winners of the U.S. Open from the last five years. The 2026 winner (Shinnecock Hills, June) will be added when known.
Winners of The Open Championship from the last five years. The 2026 winner (Royal Birkdale, July) will be added when known.
The most recent three winners of THE PLAYERS Championship.
Top three players from the International Federation Ranking List (DP World / Asian / Japan / Sunshine tours combined) as of the April 2027 cutoff. To be set spring 2027.
The reigning Senior PGA Champion earns one of the rare cross-major exemptions. Stewart Cink won 2026; the 2027 Senior PGA decides the slot for Frisco.
Players who finished in the top 15 (and ties) at the 2026 PGA at Aronimink. Aaron Rai won; the surrounding top-15 list will be added once the official 2026 results are finalised in the WITBhub database.
The unique club-pro exemption that defines the PGA Championship. The 2027 PPC will be played in late April 2027 — top 20 finishers earn PGA Frisco spots.
A special money list tracking PGA Tour earnings from the 2026 ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic through the 2027 cutoff event. Top 70 earn exemptions; finalised in early May 2027.
Members of the 2025 US and European Ryder Cup teams who remain inside the OWGR top 100 at the May 2027 cutoff date are exempt.
Any winner of a co-sponsored or approved PGA Tour event between the 2026 and 2027 PGA Championships earns an exemption. List builds across the 2026-27 PGA Tour season.
A small number of special exemptions awarded at the discretion of the PGA of America Tournament Committee. For 2027 — to be announced.
Additional confirmed members of the 156-player field qualify via the Top 100 in the Official World Golf Ranking at the May 2027 cutoff date. Full list will be published by PGA of America in the weeks before the championship.
Players in line off the PGA Championship Points list. Set in early May 2027.
The 2027 PGA Championship will broadcast across ESPN (Rounds 1-2) and CBS (Rounds 3-4) in the United States, with Paramount+ streaming CBS coverage and ESPN+ adding featured-group streaming — same partners as recent years under the PGA of America's existing rights deal. International coverage on Sky Sports (UK & Ireland) and regional partners.
Specific air times typically announced ~2 weeks before tournament week.
Some streams are geo-restricted to the US — see VPN section below.
A VPN unlocks every US-only stream — including the free official coverage.
The 109th PGA Championship will be held May 13-16, 2027 at PGA Frisco — specifically the Fields Ranch East course in Frisco, Texas. It is the first men's major staged at PGA Frisco, the PGA of America's purpose-built headquarters and host venue.
Aaron Rai won the 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink on May 17, 2026 — his breakthrough major. The 30-year-old Englishman returns to PGA Frisco with the Wanamaker Trophy on the line.
PGA Frisco is the PGA of America's relocated headquarters and 600-acre tournament campus in north Texas, opened 2023. It has two championship courses — Fields Ranch East (Beau Welling with Gil Hanse, hosting the 2027 PGA Championship) and Fields Ranch West (Gil Hanse) — plus a 10-hole short course, hotel, and the Omni PGA Frisco Resort.
Fields Ranch East stretches to roughly 7,800 yards for the men — one of the longest layouts ever to host a major. The PGA of America designed it for tournament play from day one, with multiple tee complexes, sprawling collection areas, and grass species suited to north Texas heat.
The field combines lifetime exemptions for past champions, recent winners of the four majors and THE PLAYERS, the top 70 from a special PGA Championship Points money list, OWGR top 100 at the May cutoff, Ryder Cup team members, PGA Tour winners since the previous PGA Championship, and — uniquely — 20 spots reserved for the top finishers at the PGA Professional Championship (working club pros).
In the US, ESPN airs lead coverage of Rounds 1-2 and CBS handles Rounds 3-4, with Paramount+ streaming CBS coverage and ESPN+ adding Featured Groups all four days. In the UK & Ireland, Sky Sports Golf has live coverage of all four rounds. International viewers can use a VPN to access US streams.
The PGA of America typically publishes the complete 156-player field roughly one week before the championship — that is, early May 2027. Qualifying criteria continue rolling all the way through the Truist Championship and ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic the week before the major.