In recent years, the PGA Championship has received criticism, with some suggesting it lacks a clear identity.
However, there is one very significant characteristic that sets it apart not just from the three other men’s Majors, but any other event.
Unlike The Masters, the US Open, and The Open, the PGA Championship has no amateurs, although the field of 156 includes 20 PGA professionals.
Each of the club pros and teachers qualified for the tournament, which in 2026 comes from Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania, via the PGA Professional Championship.
This year, it was held at Bandon Dunes, where 312 professionals representing the 41 sections of the PGA of America battled it out over 72 holes for the chance to earn their place at the PGA Championship.
In 2026, Jesse Droemer of Riverbend Country Club defied brisk winds to take the honors with a two-under final round of 70, finishing on four-under to beat Ben Kern by one.
As a result, he will line up at Aronimink for his third PGA Championship appearance.
One player who has already played in the PGA Championship multiple times is Ryan Vermeer of Happy Hollow Club in Omaha, Nebraska.
He will make his sixth appearance at the tournament in 2026, hoping to improve on his best finish so far, a T80 in 2019.
While Vermeer has an impressive haul of appearances to his name, no PGA professional in the field is more experienced - or high-profile - than Michael Block.
In 2023, the club pro of Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in California, stunned the golf world by not only making the cut but by being firmly in contention for the title going into the final round.
Paired with two-time winner Rory McIlroy on the Sunday at Oak Hill, he eventually finished T15, but not before making a slam dunk hole-in-one at the 15th.
Having placed T10 to qualify, Block is playing in the Major for the eighth time in 2026, where he will be hoping for similar heroics.
Below are the 20 club pros who have qualified for Aronimink, along with details of their place of birth, home club and number of PGA Championship appearances.
The 20 Club Pros In The PGA Championship
- Jesse Droemer (Houston, Texas) - Riverbend Country Club, Southern Texas Section – 3rd
- Ben Kern (Grove City, Ohio) - Hickory Hills Golf Club, Southern Ohio Section - 3rd
- Michael Katrude (West Palm Beach, Florida) - The Bear’s Club, South Florida Section – 1st
- Tyler Collet (Charleston, West Virginia) - John’s Island Club, South Florida Section – 4th
- Zach Haynes (Bowling Green, Kentucky) – The Club at Old Stone, Kentucky Section – 1st
- Garrett Sapp (Cypress, California) - San Gabriel Country Club, Southern California Section – 1st
- Austin Hurt (Bainbridge Island, Washington) - Wing Point Golf & Country Club, Pacific Northwest Section – 2nd
- Braden Shattuck (Glen Mills, Pennsylvania) - Rolling Green Golf Club, Philadelphia Section – 3rd
- Mark Geddes (Coronado, California) – Coronado Golf Course, Southern California Section – 2nd
- Ben Polland (St Paul, Minnesota) - Shooting Star of Jackson Hole, Rocky Mountain Section – 5th
- Michael Block (Reno, Nevada) - Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club, Southern California Section – 8th
- Bryce Fisher (Oregon City, Oregon) - Arrowhead Golf Club, Pacific Northwest Section – 1st
- Ryan Lenahan (Grosse Point Shores, Michigan) - Walnut Creek Country Club, Michigan Section – 2nd
- Jared Jones (Dublin, Ohio) - Scioto Country Club, Southern Ohio Section – 3rd
- Francisco Bide (Duluth, Georgia) - Capital City Club Brookhaven, Georgia Section – 1st
- Chris Gabriele (Cold Spring Harbor, New York) - Old Westbury Golf & Country Club, Metropolitan Section – 1st
- Derek Berg (Bellevue, Washington) - PNW Golf Academy, Pacific Northwest Section – 1st
- Ryan Vermeer (Omaha, Nebraska) - Happy Hollow Club, Nebraska Section – 6th
- Paul McClure (Mobile, Alabama) - Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Magnolia Grove, NW Florida Section – 1st
- Timothy Wiseman (New Albany, Indiana) - Different Strokes Golf Center, Indiana Section – 2nd
