Dustin Johnson has been granted a late invitation to the 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club, ensuring his remarkable 18-year streak of appearances in men’s majors remains intact.
The update was confirmed via Johnson’s 4Aces GC Facebook account.
Johnson, a former world number one, had been in danger of missing the season’s second major for the first time since 2008, largely due to his slide to 468th in the Official World Golf Ranking following his move to LIV Golf in 2022.
Without exemptions and outside the automatic qualification criteria, Johnson’s place in the field had been uncertain until the PGA of America stepped in with a special invite.
This marks the second consecutive year Johnson, 41, has relied on an invitation to tee it up at the PGA Championship. He was also handed a special exemption into the 2025 edition at Quail Hollow Club, where he struggled to make an impact and missed the cut after finishing on 12-over par.
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Johnson has now featured in 68 consecutive majors over the past 18 years, missing only three due to injury or personal reasons.
His last absence from a major, outside of those circumstances, dates back to the 2008 PGA Championship at Southern Hills.
Confirmation of his place came via his LIV Golf team, 4Aces GC, with a social media post declaring: “The 18-year major streak continues…” alongside tournament details for the championship, which runs from 14–17 May.
Check out the confirmation post here:
Dustin Johnson
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GolfMagic has reached out to both the PGA and Johnson’s LIV Golf team for comment.
Despite recent uncertainty, Johnson’s pedigree at the PGA Championship made a compelling case for inclusion.
In 16 previous appearances, he has recorded six top-10 finishes, including runner-up efforts in 2019 and 2020.
He is also a five-time member of the U.S. Ryder Cup team, further strengthening his ties with the PGA of America.
Johnson’s PGA invitation arrives during a turbulent spell both on and off the course.
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The big-hitting American has endured a modest start to his 2026 campaign, registering just one top-10 finish in eight starts.
That result came at LIV Golf Singapore in March, while he also missed the cut at the DP World Tour’s Dubai Desert Classic and finished tied 33rd at The Masters.
Johnson only has one top 10 so far in 2026
Off the course, LIV Golf faces an uncertain future following reports that the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) will withdraw financial backing beyond the 2026 season, leaving teams like Johnson’s 4Aces GC — featuring Thomas Detry, Thomas Pieters and Anthony Kim — awaiting clarity.
Johnson, a two-time major champion, remains exempt for life at The Masters thanks to his 2020 victory.
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His first major title came at the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont, cementing his place among the game’s elite.
The 2026 PGA Championship will be played at Aronimink, a historic venue that last hosted the tournament in 1962, when Gary Player claimed the first of his two PGA titles en route to a nine-major career.
Johnson is currently preparing to compete at LIV Golf Virginia at Trump National Golf Club, Washington, D.C.
PGA Championship 2026: Confirmed field
Player
Ludvig Aberg
Rich Beem
Derek Berg
Daniel Berger
Akshay Bhatia
Francisco Bide
Michael Block
Keegan Bradley
Michael Brennan
Jacob Bridgeman
Sam Burns
Angel Cabrera
Brian Campbell
Patrick Cantlay
Ricky Castillo
Bud Cauley
Stewart Cink
Wyndham Clark
Tyler Collet
Corey Conners
Pierceson Coody
John Daly
Jason Day
Bryson DeChambeau
Jesse Droemer
Jason Dufner
Nico Echavarria
Harris English
Bryce Fisher
Steven Fisk
Alex Fitzpatrick
Matt Fitzpatrick
Tommy Fleetwood
Rickie Fowler
Ryan Fox
Chris Gabriele
Mark Geddes
Ryan Gerard
Chris Gotterup
Max Greyserman
Ben Griffin
Emiliano Grillo
Jordan Gumberg
Harry Hall
Brian Harman
Padraig Harrington
Tyrrell Hatton
Zach Haynes
Russell Henley
Kazuki Higa
Joe Highsmith
Ryo Hisatsune
Rico Hoey
Nicolai Hojgaard
Rasmus Hojgaard
Viktor Hovland
Austin Hurt
Casey Jarvis
Dustin Johnson
Jared Jones
Michael Kartrude
Martin Kaymer
Ben Kern
Michael Kim
Si Woo Kim
Chris Kirk
Kurt Kitayama
Jake Knapp
Brooks Koepka
Min Woo Lee
Ryan Lenahan
Mikael Lindberg
David Lipsky
Shane Lowry
Robert MacIntyre
Hideki Matsuyama
Denny McCarthy
Matt McCarty
Paul McClure
Rory McIlroy
Maverick McNealy
Shaun Micheel
Collin Morikawa
William Mouw
Joaquin Niemann
Alex Noren
Andrew Novak
Taylor Pendrith
Ben Polland
J.T. Poston
Aldrich Potgieter
Andrew Putnam
Jon Rahm
Davis Riley
Patrick Rodgers
Justin Rose
Garrett Sapp
Xander Schauffele
Scottie Scheffler
Adam Schenk
Matti Schmid
Adam Scott
Braden Shattuck
Alex Smalley
Cameron Smith
Travis Smyth
J.J. Spaun
Jordan Spieth
Sam Stevens
Sepp Straka
Nick Taylor
Sahith Theegala
Justin Thomas
Michael Thorbjornsen
Sami Valimaki
Jhonattan Vegas
Ryan Vermeer
Jimmy Walker
Matt Wallace
Bernd Wiesberger
Timothy Wiseman
Gary Woodland
Y.E. Yang
Cameron Young
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