The PGA Championship was established for the purpose of providing a high profile tournament specifically for professional golfers at a time when they were generally not held in high esteem in a sport that was largely run by wealthy amateurs. This origin is still reflected in the entry system for the Championship. It is the only major which does not invite leading amateurs to compete, and the only one which reserves a large number of places, 20 of 156, for club professionals. These slots are determined by the top finishers in the club pro championship, which is held in July.
Since 1968, the PGA Tour has been independent of the PGA of America. The PGA Tour is an elite organization of tournament professionals, but the PGA Championship is still run by the PGA of America, which is mainly a body for club and teaching professionals. The PGA Championship is the only major that does not explicitly grant entry to the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Rankings, although it invariably invites all top 100 (not just top 50) players who are not already qualified.
List of qualification criteria:
All former PGA Champions
Winners of the last five U.S. Open's
Winners of the last five Masters
Winners of the last five Open Championships
The last Senior PGA Champion
The 15 low scorers and ties in the previous PGA Championship
The 20 low scorers in the last PGA Professional National Championship
The 70 leaders in official money standings
Members of the most recent United States Ryder Cup Team
Winners of tournaments 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
The total field is a maximum of 156 players.