--- title: "Dustin Johnson Gets PGA Invite as Tiger, Phil Sit Out" description: "The PGA of America handed Johnson a special exemption, while Woods is absent and Mickelson withdrew." url: https://sportopod.com/en-US/cluster/liv-major-champ-earns-surprise-pga-championship-invite-tige-moued6jv published: 2026-05-16T08:06:48.294705+00:00 updated: 2026-05-16T14:03:16.481087+00:00 author: "Kostadin Stamboliev" publisher: "Pineido" site: "Sportopod" language: en topics: ["golf"] --- # Dustin Johnson Gets PGA Invite as Tiger, Phil Sit Out > The PGA of America handed Johnson a special exemption, while Woods is absent and Mickelson withdrew. Dustin Johnson has a way back into a major week. The PGA of America gave the LIV Golf star a special invitation to the 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club, Golf.com reported Wednesday, while Tiger Woods is not in the field and Phil Mickelson withdrew after initially appearing on the list. The move lands as more than a field-list note. Johnson, Woods and Mickelson once felt like permanent furniture at majors. Now only Johnson is set to play the season's second major, and he needed help to get there. According to Golf.com, the PGA of America released its early 2026 PGA Championship field on Tuesday with Johnson included as a special invite. Woods was not listed. Mickelson was listed at first, then came off the field after the PGA announced his withdrawal. Johnson's invitation matters because his old automatic routes have started to close. Golf.com noted that Johnson had been automatically qualified for every major since 2009, but that streak was under strain entering the 2026 PGA. He is a two-time major champion, a former world No. 1-level force, and a 2020 Masters winner. Augusta will keep calling because Masters champions have a lifetime invitation there. Other majors are less forgiving. His exemptions tied to that Masters victory have expired outside Augusta, and his 10-year U.S. Open exemption from winning the 2016 U.S. Open runs out after this year. The ranking slide is the hard number beneath the story. Golf.com reported Johnson was down to No. 468 in the Official World Golf Ranking as of Monday, May 4. That position left him outside normal PGA Championship and Open Championship eligibility. It also reflects the broader LIV Golf problem around rankings access and major qualification. Johnson joined LIV in 2022 as part of the breakaway league's early wave. Four years later, he is still a name that moves a field, but no longer one protected by ranking math. The PGA of America chose to use its discretion. Golf.com reported that Johnson was one of several players to receive special invitations, along with Keith Mitchell, Billy Horschel, Andy Sullivan, Angel Ayora and Chandler Blanchet. Johnson told Golf Channel, per Golf.com, that he was excited and thankful for the invitation, saying he still believes his game is strong enough to compete and win majors. That quote doubles as his case to the field: he is not entering as a ceremonial name, even if the invite itself functions as a lifeline. Mickelson's absence carries a different weight. Golf.com reported that the PGA said Mickelson withdrew because of a personal health matter involving his family. The same matter kept him out of the 2026 Masters and has also kept him from playing LIV Golf events this season, according to Golf.com. Mickelson's PGA Championship history is still loud. He won the 2021 PGA at Kiawah Island's Ocean Course, claimed his sixth major, and became the oldest major champion at 50. Five years later, he is missing the week entirely. The PGA announced Max Homa would replace him in the field. Woods' absence is less surprising, but no less symbolic. As a past PGA champion, he was eligible. Golf.com reported he was not on the PGA Championship field list. The site also pointed to his March 31 announcement that he was stepping away from his career to seek treatment and focus on his health after a late-March car crash and DUI charge ended speculation about a possible Masters return. Woods gave no timetable for a comeback. That leaves another major week without the player who defined so many of them. Key facts: - The PGA of America gave Dustin Johnson a special invitation to the 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club, according to Golf.com. - Johnson, now 41, joined LIV Golf in 2022 and was ranked No. 468 in the Official World Golf Ranking as of Monday, May 4, per Golf.com. - Tiger Woods is not in the PGA Championship field despite being eligible as a past champion. - Phil Mickelson initially appeared in the field but withdrew because of a personal family health matter, with Max Homa replacing him. - Golf.com reported the early field had 154 players, with two more possible additions tied to winners of the Truist Championship and Myrtle Beach Classic if they are not already qualified. The implication is clear: major fields are changing shape in real time. Johnson still has enough stature for the PGA of America to make room, but he no longer arrives by right everywhere. Mickelson, once a guaranteed headline, is away from competition. Woods remains absent with no return date. The Tiger-Phil era has not vanished from memory, but it keeps receding from actual major weeks. Johnson's invite gives the PGA Championship another LIV-linked storyline, yet it also underlines how fragile major access has become for players outside the ranking system. What's next: The 2026 PGA Championship begins May 14 at Aronimink Golf Club outside Philadelphia. Johnson now has a spot and a chance to turn a special exemption into something louder. The field could still expand if the winners of this week's Truist Championship or Myrtle Beach Classic are not already qualified. Woods' timeline remains open-ended. Mickelson's return depends on his family situation and health-related absence, not competitive form alone. ## Why this matters This is not routine administrative housekeeping. The PGA Championship field is one of golf's premium products, and the names missing now say almost as much as the names added. Johnson's LIV status, ranking slide and special invitation show how major access has become a pressure point in the post-split sport. Woods and Mickelson being out turns the page further. For two decades, major weeks bent around them. Now the PGA of America is using discretion to keep Johnson in while the two biggest names of their era sit outside the ropes. ## Frequently asked ### Why did Dustin Johnson need a special PGA Championship invite? Johnson was no longer safely qualified through the usual routes. Golf.com reported he had fallen to No. 468 in the Official World Golf Ranking as of Monday, May 4, leaving him outside normal eligibility for the PGA Championship and Open Championship. The PGA of America used a special invitation to add him to the 2026 field. ### Is Tiger Woods playing the 2026 PGA Championship? No. Golf.com reported that Woods was not included in the 2026 PGA Championship field. He was eligible as a past PGA champion, but his absence follows his March 31 announcement that he was stepping away from his career to seek treatment and focus on his health. He has not given a timetable for returning. ### Why did Phil Mickelson withdraw from the PGA Championship? According to Golf.com, the PGA announced that Mickelson withdrew because of a personal health matter involving his family. The same matter kept him out of the 2026 Masters and has prevented him from playing LIV Golf events this season. Max Homa was announced as Mickelson's replacement in the field. ### When and where is the 2026 PGA Championship? The 2026 PGA Championship is scheduled to begin May 14 at Aronimink Golf Club outside Philadelphia. Golf.com reported that the early field had 154 players, with two more possible additions depending on whether the winners of the Truist Championship and Myrtle Beach Classic are already qualified. ## Sources & Citations - [LIV major champ earns surprise PGA Championship invite, Tiger and Phil out](https://golf.com/news/liv-major-champ-surprise-pga-invite-tiger-phil-out/) — Golf.com (2026-05-06) --- Cite: Dustin Johnson Gets PGA Invite as Tiger, Phil Sit Out. Sportopod, 2026-05-16. https://sportopod.com/en-US/cluster/liv-major-champ-earns-surprise-pga-championship-invite-tige-moued6jv