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sports Wednesday 11 May 2022
Column: PGA Championship delivers strongest field for majors

By DOUG FERGUSON The surprise was skipping in
AP Golf Writer the world ranking Adrian
Even if Lanto Griffin was Meronk (113) — he would
thinking only about the have been the first Polish
next shot, his 32 over the fi- player in PGA Champion-
nal nine holes of the Wells ship history — and Joel
Fargo Championship made Dahmen (114) to offer an
him the last man to qualify exemption to Bio Kim, who
for the PGA Championship. won last week on the Asian
Maybe. Tour.
It's hard to tell with the PGA It was Kim's first win since
of America, which lacks the the Korea Golf Association
transparency of the other suspended him one year
majors but makes amends (down from the original
by delivering the strongest three-year ban) for flipping
field every year. off the crowd after a phone
When the final field was an- camera went off during his
nounced Monday — one swing in the final round of a
of the 156 spots is set aside tournament he won.
for the winner of the AT&T For those who missed out,
Byron Nelson if he's not al- the ball was always in their
ready eligible — the PGA hands, as it was for Griffin.
Championship was assured No one ever shows up at
of having the top 100 play- a major and notices who
ers in the world, provided didn't qualify. All the right
they all play. players are there, even if
Defending champion Phil some U.S. fans don't know
Mickelson is still on the list, much about them.
though that's not breaking Perhaps that's only fitting.
news. While out of public Go back to the 1970s and
view since he managed '80s, the PGA Champion-
to offend the PGA Tour ship felt like a closed shop
and the Saudi-funded rival Lanto Griffin hits from a bunker on the 17th fairway during the first round of play in the Players to international players.
league he's been promot- Championship golf tournament, Thursday, March 10, 2022, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Sam Torrance won 14 times
ing, there's been no official Associated Press on the European Tour and
word whether Lefty will be played in five Ryder Cups
at Southern Hills next week. And then there are "special points list (the top 70 quali- someone moving into the before his first appearance
More promising are the exemptions." fy) and No. 107 in the world top 100 after this week. in the PGA Championship.
prospects of Tiger Woods, One of these days, the PGA ranking a week ago. Grif- Added were Daniel van Mark James won 13 times
the last winner at Southern of America will get around fin was in a five-way tie for Tonder (103) and Justin Har- and played in four Ryder
Hills. And still listed some- to calling it what it is: a cat- 19th going into the final ding (104) of South Africa, Cups before he got into the
where between "ques- egory to fill the field with the round Sunday and shot 67 Ryan Fox (106) of New Zea- PGA.
tionable" and "doubtful" if top 100 players in the world for a three-way tie for sixth. land, Laurie Canter (107) "No problem with that. It's
golf had an injury report is who aren't already in. That moved him to No. 96 and Sam Horsfield (110) of just the way it was," Tor-
Bryson DeChambeau, who Kerry Haigh, the chief in the world, and the differ- England and Kazuki Higa rance said Monday night in
only last week had stitches championships officer for ence of $193,140 put him at (112) of Japan. All but Har- a text message.
removed after surgery on the PGA of America, tipped No. 74 in PGA points. ding and Canter are play- The PGA Championship a
his left hand. his hand last year when 99 According to the final cat- ing their respective tours decade ago briefly con-
No one doubts the PGA of the top 100 — Matthew egory, the PGA points list this week and would have sidered the notion of being
Championship has the Wolff was missing — played is used to fill the field. Grif- a chance to crack the top played overseas. Now the
strongest field, even with at Kiawah Island. fin was first in line for that, 100. world is coming to the PGA,
three past champions tied "It's something we pride while also being among Taking them meant passing just like the other majors.
for last in the world ranking, ourselves on at the PGA the top 100 in the ranking. over players beyond 70th Twenty-five players are
and 20 professionals who Championship, that we Without that 67, he would on the PGA points list — not PGA Tour members.
spend more hours running have the strongest field as have been outside of both Brendan Steele, Beau Hoss- Throw out the club pros
their golf clubs than grind- measured by the Official lists. ler, Kramer Hickok, Charl and Americans comprise
ing on their short games. World Golf Ranking," Haigh Most curious about this Schwartzel, Adam Schenk, roughly 46% of the field.
It's how it arrives at its field said. year's use of "special ex- Russell Knox and Scott Stall- That's probably how it
that remains a mystery. The special exemptions are emptions" is the PGA of ings. should be, even if the PGA
The goal is to have the not only about the world America went well beyond Then again, as PGA Tour Championship doesn't
top 100 in the world. It just ranking. Henrik Stenson and the top 100 in the world. members they had ample make clear how it gets to
doesn't say that anywhere Zach Johnson received ex- That was to protect against opportunity to qualify. that point.q
in the criteria. emptions, just like current
There are places for major Ryder Cup captains before LIKE US ON
champions, top finishers them. Billy Horschel was
from last year's PGA Cham- among those who received
pionship, PGA Tour winners an exemption before the
over the last year, recent PGA points list (money list)
Ryder Cup players still in was finalized.
the top 100 and a PGA Tour That takes us back to Grif-
money list from the last 12 fin.
months. He was 82nd on the PGA Facebook.com/arubatoday/