Ryder Cup stars Curtis and Weekley gain PGA Championship invitations

Ben Curtis and Boo Weekley are going to the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits despite falling from the top 100 in the world ranking. The PGA of America changed its criteria last year to require that members of the most recent Ryder Cup team stay within the top 100. Officials offered special invitations to Curtis, Weekley and others to fill its 156-man field. The PGA Championship gave exemptions to everyone in the top 100 in Monday’s ranking who were not already eligible. It also invited three players outside the top 100 -- Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano of Spain, Simon Khan of England and Seung-Yul Noh of South Korea. U.S. Ryder Cup player Justin Leonard fell to No. 101 but earned his spot through a PGA points list, which is money earned on the PGA Tour since the PGA Championship last year. The PGA Championship is Aug. 12-15. The final major of the year reserved two spots in case the winners of this week’s WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and the Turning Stone Resort Championship are not already eligible. The first two alternates are D.J. Trahan and Matt Jon