The PNC Championship is a beloved golf event where 20 teams compete in a friendly 36-hole scramble.
This tournament features both legendary and current top players, but how do they qualify to play?
It’s quite simple: only 20 professionals who have won Majors or The Players Championship can enter.
Eligibility Rules:
The PGA Tour Champions, which organizes the tournament, allows winners of The Players Championship to participate. This explains why Matt Kuchar plays each year with his sons after his victory at TPC Sawgrass in 2012. Interestingly, the term ‘Major’ also includes senior Majors, allowing Steve Stricker to join despite never winning a regular Major or The Players Championship. He made his debut in 2023 due to his seven senior Major wins.
However, those who are part of LIV Golf can’t join because of ongoing tensions between tours. For instance, Henrik Stenson played with his son Karl in 2021 but became ineligible after joining LIV Golf.
Fans might think it’s unfair that some players can’t compete anymore due to these rules.
When choosing amateur partners for the PNC Championship, they must be family members without professional tour status. Stricker’s daughter Bobbi couldn’t play in 2023 because she was on the Epson Tour, so her younger sister Izzi took her place . This rule may affect future participants like John Daly II and others currently playing college golf.
What do you think about these rules? Are they fair or should they change?
