The 2016 PGA Championship was the 98th PGA Championship which took place from July 28–31 at Baltusrol Golf Club on the Lower Course in Springfield Township, New Jersey, west of New York City. This was the ninth major and second PGA Championship at Baltusrol, which last hosted in 2005. Jimmy Walker won his first major championship title with a score of 14 under par, one shot ahead of 2015 champion Jason Day.
This edition of the PGA Championship was moved up two weeks from its early-August spot to accommodate the 2016 Olympic tournament in Rio de Janeiro. The John Deere Classic was moved back two weeks from its mid-July spot before the Open Championship and is taking its place on the schedule for those not qualified for the Olympics.
Course layout
Lower Course
Lengths of the course for previous major championships: , par 70 - 2005 PGA Championship , par 70 - 1993 U.S. Open , par 70 - 1980 U.S. Open , par 70 - 1967 U.S. Open , par 70 - 1954 U.S. Open , par 72 - 1936 U.S. Open (Upper Course) , par 74 - 1915 U.S. Open (Old Course) , par - 1903 U.S. Open (Old Course)The Old Course no longer exists, plowed under in 1918
Field
The following qualification criteria were used to select the field. Each player is listed according to the first category by which he qualified with additional categories in which he qualified shown in parentheses.
1. All former PGA Champions
Rich Beem
Keegan Bradley (9) John Daly Jason Day (6,8,10) Jason Dufner (8,10) Pádraig Harrington Martin Kaymer (2,6,9) Rory McIlroy (4,8,9) Shaun Micheel Phil Mickelson (4,8,9) Vijay Singh David Toms Yang Yong-eun
Davis Love III (10) and Tiger Woods did not play due to injury. The following former champions did not enter: Paul Azinger, Mark Brooks, Jack Burke Jr., Steve Elkington, Dow Finsterwald, Raymond Floyd, Doug Ford, Al Geiberger, Wayne Grady, David Graham, Hubert Green, Don January, John Mahaffey, Larry Nelson, Bobby Nichols, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Nick Price, Jeff Sluman, Dave Stockton, Hal Sutton, Lee Trevino, Bob Tway, Lanny Wadkins
2. Winners of last five U.S. Opens
Dustin Johnson (6,8,10) Justin Rose (6,8,9) Webb Simpson (8,9) Jordan Spieth (3,6,8,9,10)
3. Winners of last five Masters Tournaments
Adam Scott (8,10) Bubba Watson (8,9,10) Danny Willett (8)
4. Winners of last five British Opens
Ernie Els
Zach Johnson (8,9) Henrik Stenson (8,9)
5. Current Senior PGA Champion
Rocco Mediate
6. 15 low scorers and ties in the 2015 PGA Championship
George Coetzee
Tony Finau (8,10) Branden Grace (8,10) Russell Henley Brooks Koepka (8) Matt Kuchar (8,9) Anirban Lahiri David Lingmerth (8) Brandt Snedeker (8,10) Brendan Steele (8) Robert Streb (8)
7. 20 low scorers in the 2016 PGA Professional Championship
Rich Berberian, Jr. Michael Block Mark Brown Matt Dobyns Brian Gaffney Ryan Helminen Johan Kok Rob Labritz Brad Lardon Mitch Lowe David Muttitt Brad Ott Rod Perry Ben Polland Rick Schuller Tommy Sharp Josh Speight Joe Summerhays Omar Uresti Wyatt Worthington II
Although Karen Paolozzi placed in the top 20, she was not eligible for entry to the PGA Championship under the Whaley Rule.
8. Top 70 leaders in official money standings from the 2015 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational to the 2016 Open Championship and Barbasol Championship
Aaron Baddeley (10) Daniel Berger (10) Jason Bohn Paul Casey Roberto Castro Kevin Chappell Jon Curran Harris English Rickie Fowler (9,10) Jim Furyk (9) Sergio García (9,10) Fabián Gómez (10) Emiliano Grillo (10) Bill Haas James Hahn (10) Jim Herman (10) Charley Hoffman (10) J. B. Holmes Billy Hurley III (10) Smylie Kaufman (10) Kim Si-woo Chris Kirk Kevin Kisner (10) Patton Kizzire Colt Knost Russell Knox (10) Danny Lee Jamie Lovemark Shane Lowry Hideki Matsuyama (10) Graeme McDowell (9,10) William McGirt (10) Bryce Molder Ryan Moore Kevin Na Louis Oosthuizen Ryan Palmer Scott Piercy Patrick Reed (9) Kyle Reifers Charl Schwartzel (10) Kevin Streelman Brian Stuard (10) Daniel Summerhays Vaughn Taylor (10) Justin Thomas (10) Jimmy Walker (9) Gary Woodland
Charles Howell III did not play due to injury.
9. Members of the United States and European 2014 Ryder Cup teams (provided they are ranked in the top 100 in the Official World Golf Ranking on July 1, 2016)
Jamie Donaldson
Victor Dubuisson
Lee Westwood
Hunter Mahan (162), Thomas Bjørn (294), and Stephen Gallacher (290) did not qualify. Ian Poulter did not play due to a foot injury.
10. Winners of tournaments co-sponsored or approved by the PGA Tour since the 2015 PGA Championship