Tiger Woods will participate in the PGA Championship with 16 golfers LIV

Tiger Woods has officially been signed to play in the PGA Championship, as six LIV Golf rebels received lifelines with invitations to the major tournament – a year after Brooks Koepka’s victory.

On Tuesday, the PGA of America revealed the names of 154 of the 156 golfers who will compete at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. The tournament will begin on May 16.

In addition to Koepka – three-time defending champion – LIV Golf has 15 other players in the field, including world No. 5 Jon Rahm of Spain, No. 17 Tyrrell Hatton of England and No. 56 Cameron Smith from Australia. .

Surprisingly, Talor Gooch (No. 644) and (No. 92) Patrick Reed, both Americans, made the cut, along with Chilean Joaquin Niemann (No. 91), Poland’s Adrian Meronk (No. 63) and tied No. 39 David Puig of Spain.

All six golfers left the PGA Tour for LIV in the last two years.

Tiger Woods will play at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky, next week after his Masters showing

Surprisingly, Talor Gooch (No. 644) and (No. 92) Patrick Reed are among 16 LIV golfers invited to the major.

Rory McIlroy and world number one Scottie Scheffler, who became a father for the first time after his Masters triumph, will also compete in a decorated field next week.

Two spots will go to the winners of the Wells Fargo Championship and the Myrtle Beach Classic. If an already exempt golfer emerges victorious, the PGA of America will move to the alternate list.

Koepka, ranked 37th in the world, recorded his fifth career major last year by winning the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club. He also won the tournament in 2018 and 2019.

Woods, a 15-time major champion, won the PGA Championship in 1999, 2000, 2006 and 2007, while world number 2 McIlroy emerged victorious in 2012 and 2014.

Scheffler, last year’s finalist at this tournament, and the top 103 players in the Official World Golf Rankings will test their mettle in Valhalla.