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All top 100 world-ranked players set for challenge at 2019 PGA Championship

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All top 100 world-ranked players set for challenge at 2019 PGA Championship

*Editor's note: World No. 5 player Justin Thomas withdrew from the PGA Championship due to a wrist injury on Monday, May 13. This article was written before Thomas' announcement.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Bethpage Black Course, a reservoir of golf history and one of the most celebrated public courses in the game, will welcome the strongest all-professional field of the year, May 16-19, at the 2019 PGA Championship.
 
The 156-player roster includes every one of the top 100 players in the current Official World Golf Rankings, something that has never happened before in one of golf’s major championships. The field features 34 major champions, 69 international players representing 27 countries, and 12 players who have been ranked No. 1 in the world. They will compete for the Rodman Wanamaker Trophy as Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York, hosts the PGA Championship for the first time.

GUIDE: Everything you need to know about the PGA Championship

It is the first PGA Championship conducted in May since 1949 when Sam Snead triumphed in Richmond, Virginia, and the first PGA staged on Long Island since 1926 when Walter Hagen won at Salisbury Golf Links in Westbury, New York.
 
Defending Champion Brooks Koepka, the world’s No. 3-ranked player, heads 17 past PGA Champions in the field. He is joined by Rich Beem (2002), Keegan Bradley (2011), John Daly (1991), Jason Day (2015), Jason Dufner (2013), Padraig Harrington (2008), Martin Kaymer (2010), Davis Love III (1998), Rory McIlroy (2012, ’14), Shaun Micheel (2003), Phil Mickelson (2005), Vijay Singh (1998, 2004), Justin Thomas (2017), Jimmy Walker (2016), Tiger Woods (1999, 2000, ’06, ’07) and Y.E. Yang (2009).
 
The 34 major champions competing at Bethpage Black own a combined 67 major championships. Along with the past PGA Champions, they are: Jim Furyk, Sergio Garcia, world-No.1-ranked Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson, Graeme McDowell, Francesco Molinari, Louis Oosthuizen, Patrick Reed, Justin Rose, Charl Schwartzel, Adam Scott, Webb Simpson, Jordan Spieth, Henrik Stenson, Bubba Watson and Danny Willett.
 
Five of the past seven PGA Championships have been won by players who would ultimately rise to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings.

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Bethpage Black hosted two previous major championships, with Tiger Woods capturing the 2002 U.S. Open and Lucas Glover triumphing in the 2009 Open.
 
The PGA Championship field also includes 20 PGA Club Professionals, led by reigning PGA Professional Champion Alex Beach, a PGA Assistant Professional at Westchester Country Club in Rye, New York, located about 45 minutes from Bethpage Black. The 20 earned a berth on May 1, at the 52nd PGA Professional Championship at Belfair in Bluffton, South Carolina.
 
Since 1994, the PGA Championship has continually featured the strongest field in all of golf as measured by the Official World Golf Rankings. It has brought together the most international competitors to the United States. The field will be finalized following this weekend’s AT&T Byron Nelson.
 
Golf's best professionals began competing for the PGA Championship’s Rodman Wanamaker Trophy in 1916. Past Champions include both the legendary and recent stars of the game: Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen, Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Phil Mickelson, Padraig Harrington, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day, Justin Thomas and Brooks Koepka.

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