The 2023 PGA Championship opened with a 156-player field at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y. That number could be reduced by more than half after Friday’s second round.
Thursday’s Round 1 opened with a weather delay; early-morning temperatures produced frost over much of the East Course. Whether that had any bearing on how players fared in Round 1 is unknown, but the leader after play Thursday was Bryson DeChambeau at 4 under.
LIVE: Updates, highlights from PGA Championship Round 1
The more pressing question now is, how many golfers will extend their stay in Rochester? Some players are comfortably inside the projected cut line, while others will need to scramble to get there.
While the PGA Championship is not as exclusive as the other majors, it will still take considerable work for some of the world’s top players to play on the weekend in 2023. Here’s everything you need to know about the PGA Championship cut line rules, the projected number of players to make the cut, and more:
MORE: Tracking scores for LIV Golf players at PGA Championship
What is the cut line for 2023 PGA Championship?
The cut line — which will fluctuate throughout the second round — sat at 75 players after Thursday. A large number of notable golfers are in danger of missing the cut.
The danger is especially high for Jon Rahm, who on Thursday turned in a historically bad PGA Championship first round. The world No. 1 and reigning Masters champion shot a 6-over 76, setting a record for worst opening round to-par score for a world No. 1.
Jon Rahm just posted the worst opening round score to par (+6) by a World No. 1 at the #PGAChampionship.
That distinction was previously shared by Greg Norman in 1990 and Tiger Woods in 2005 (+5). pic.twitter.com/IwVVMKTRG4
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 18, 2023
Jon Rahm shoots 76, the highest score by a reigning Masters champ in his next major round played since Bubba Watson in 2014 (76 at US Open).
None of the last 8 Masters winners broke 70 in the opening round of the next major.
— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) May 18, 2023
PGA Championship cut rules
The PGA Championship has a 70-player cut line (plus ties), tied with the Open Championship for the largest among golf’s four majors. The U.S. Open has a 60-player cut line, while the Masters has the smallest at 50.
Of note, there is no 10-shot rule at the PGA Championship, so the cut line will be expanded to include any player who is 10 or fewer shots behind the leader. The Masters in 2020 became the last major to do away with the rule.
MORE: Full PGA Championship leaderboard
PGA Championship 2023 cut line
After one day of play, the current cut line at the 2023 PGA Championship is 3 over par. Notable players in danger of missing the cut include Jordan Spieth (3 over), Cameron Young (4 over) and Rahm (6 over).
- Cut line: 3 over par (143)
- Players inside cut line: 75
How many players make the cut at the PGA Championship?
The initial 156-player field will be reduced to the top 70 golfers after 36 holes, plus ties. Seventy-five players are projected to make the cut after two rounds while 81 players are projected to miss it.
