Locals start stretch drive to qualifying for 2022 PGA Championship

We’ve been bragging on how well young Oklahoma players are faring on the PGA Tour, but how strong will that contingent actually be when the PGA Championship is contested May 19-22 at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa?

The top 70 on the PGA Tour money list from one week prior to the 2021 PGA Championship to two weeks prior to the 2022 PGA Championship earn automatic exemptions, as well as anyone who has won a PGA Tour event since the last PGA Championship was held. The cross-year points list is available on the PGA Tour website under stats but you have to look for it. Here is the full list.

With less than three months to make a move, here is how some of our players with Oklahoma ties stand currently.

Former Sooner Abraham Ancer is 12th followed by former Oklahoma State star Talor Gooch of Midwest City in 16th. Viktor Hovland is 29th and Matthew Wolff 47th. Alex Noren of OSU is 54th and Rickie Fowler 56th.

Of course this ranking will be affected by all of the other criteria by which the PGA Championship field is determined and more than the top 70 will get in. But here’s a look at where some other players with Oklahoma ties currently rank who will need to have some good finishes between now and May.

Kevin Tway 86, Robert Streb 91, Bo Van Pelt 122, Taylor Moore 145, Charles Howell III 172, Austin Eckroat 197, Max McGreevy 200, Michael Gellerman 210, Rhein Gibson 246, Grant Hirschman 254, Peter Uihlein 260, Josh Creel 314, Kris Ventura 320, Quade Cummins 348.

Obviously it’s a long shot for some. Moore, although 145, has earned all of his points in the 2021-22 season as he’s a rookie and could certainly play his way in. Tway and Streb need some solid finishes this spring as do Howell III and Van Pelt.

Following are the qualification criteria.

• Every former PGA Champion.
• Winners of the last five U.S. Opens.
• Winners of the last five Masters.
• Winners of the last five Open Championships.
• Winners of the last three The Players Championships.
• The current Senior PGA Champion.
• The low 15 scorers and ties in the previous PGA Championship.
• The 20 low scorers in the last PGA Professional Championship.
• The 70 leaders in official money standings on the PGA Tour (starting one week before the previous year’s PGA Championship and ending two weeks before the current year’s PGA Championship).
• Members of the most recent United States and European Ryder Cup Teams, provided they are in the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking as of one week before the start of the tournament.
• Any tournament winner co-sponsored or approved by the PGA Tour since the previous PGA Championship .
• The PGA of America reserves the right to invite additional players not included in the categories listed above.
• The total field is a maximum of 156 players. Vacancies are filled by the first available player from the list of alternates (those below 70th place in official money standings).