All About Pga Championship Cut Rule: A Comprehensive Guide
The PGA Championship cuts the field to the top 70 players and ties after 36 holes. That weekend field plays all four rounds—no secondary cut since 2019. If your favorite golfer finishes Friday at or inside that line, they’re guaranteed two more days of competition. Below is how the rule works, how it compares to other majors, notable cut lines, and what happens to those who miss the weekend.
How to Determine If a Player Makes the Cut
The process is consistent every year. Here’s the step-by-step flow the tournament uses after the second round.
Before Friday: Know the Baseline
The field starts with approximately 156 players (pros and invited amateurs). Everyone plays two rounds (Thursday and Friday). No weather or pace-of-play adjustments change the cut rule itself—only scores matter. The course setup (rough height, green firmness) can influence scoring, but the cut calculation is always the same.
After Round 2: The Ordered Cut Sequence
1. Rank all scores from lowest (best) to highest (worst). Ties are grouped together.
2. Find the 70th position on that ordered list (counting from the top).
3. Set the cut line at the score of the player in 70th place.
4. Include every player tied at that score – ties are not broken. If 12 players are tied at the 70th-place score, all 12 advance. This is why weekend fields often exceed 70.
5. Finalize the weekend field – no 10-stroke rule, no second cut. Once the last group posts their score, the cut is final.
Real example: At the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills, the cut fell at 2-over par. Because multiple players tied at that number, 78 players advanced instead of exactly 70. At the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla, the cut was even par, with 75 players advancing due to ties at that line.
How to Verify the Cut Line Yourself
Go to the official PGA Championship leaderboard (pgachampionship.com or PGA Tour app) after Friday’s round. Look for a line labeled “Cut Line” with a score (e.g., “+3”). Any player whose name is listed at or above that line has made the cut. If a player is one stroke above the line, they are out—no exceptions.
When to Stop Watching for a Player
If a player finishes Round 2 two or more strokes outside the cut line (e.g., the cut is +3 and the player is +5), they are mathematically eliminated. If a player finishes exactly one stroke outside, they need to check for ties: any player tied at the cut score pushes the line further, but if no ties exist at the 70th-place score, that one-stroke gap is final. No playoff, no appeal. The cut is final once the last group posts their score. If you see “MC” (missed cut) next to a player’s name on Saturday morning, they are done.
What to Watch During Friday’s Broadcast
- The broadcast often shows a graphic labeled “Projected Cut” during the afternoon wave. This is unofficial until all scores are posted.
- If a player is at the projected line with a few holes left, they typically need at least par the rest of the way. Bogeys drop them outside.
- Watch for players who start the day near the cut line and then make a birdie run to jump safely inside.
How the PGA Championship Cut Compares to Other Majors
The PGA Championship is the most forgiving major for borderline players. The table below shows the standard cut rules as of 2025.
| Major | Cut Rule | Key Difference from PGA |
|---|---|---|
| PGA Championship | Top 70 and ties after 36 holes | No secondary cut; no 10-stroke rule |
| Masters | Top 50 and ties, plus any player within 10 strokes of the lead | Much smaller weekend field; rescue clause for leaders |
| U.S. Open | Top 60 and ties, plus any player within 10 strokes of the lead | 10-stroke rule can save someone well outside top 60 if they are close to lead |
| The Open Championship | Top 70 and ties, plus any player within 10 strokes of the lead | Same primary cut as PGA, but 10-stroke rule adds players |
The PGA Championship’s lack of a 10-stroke rule means a player who is 8 over par but tied for 70th makes the cut, even if they are 15 strokes behind the leader. That same player would be cut at the Masters or U.S. Open if they were too far back. Conversely, a player at 5 over par who is 9 back of the lead might make the cut at the Masters but miss it at the PGA if they are outside the top 70.
Notable Cut Lines in Recent Years
Cut scores vary significantly depending on course difficulty and weather. Here are the last five editions:
- 2024 (Valhalla): cut at even par, 75 players advanced
- 2023 (Oak Hill): cut at 3-over, 78 players advanced
- 2022 (Southern Hills): cut at 2-over, 78 players advanced
- 2021 (Kiawah Island): cut at 4-over, 79 players advanced
- 2020 (TPC Harding Park): cut at 1-over, 43 players advanced
Why the big range? At TPC Harding Park (2020), calm conditions and softer greens led to a 1-over cut with few ties—only 43 players advanced. That’s the smallest weekend field in modern PGA Championship history. At Bethpage Black (2019), the punishing rough pushed the cut to 2-over, but 15 players tied at that number, swelling the field to 81. At Kiawah Island (2021), strong winds and narrow fairways caused the cut to climb to 4-over, yet 79 players still advanced because of ties. At Valhalla (2024), soft conditions and low scoring kept the cut at even par with 75 advancing.
What Happens to Players Who Miss the Cut
Players who miss the cut:
- Do not play the final two rounds.
- Earn no official prize money (the purse is distributed only to those who make the cut). In 2024, total purse was $18.5 million, with a $3.33 million winner’s share; those who missed the cut received $0 in official earnings.
- Still receive FedExCup points based on their 36-hole position (though far fewer than weekend players). Typically, a player who finishes 130th gets around 1–2 points, while the winner gets 600.
- May have separate appearance fees or endorsement bonuses unaffected by the cut.
- Amateurs miss the cut and simply leave the tournament with no prize money, same as pros.
Historical Context: How the Cut Rule Has Changed
Before 2019, the PGA Championship used a secondary cut after 54 holes. The field was trimmed again on Saturday to roughly the top 70 (or top 60 in some years). That meant players who made the Friday cut could still get cut on Saturday afternoon. The 2019 change eliminated that second cut, so now anyone who makes the Friday cut gets all four rounds. This also removed the awkward situation where a player would play Saturday morning only to learn they were cut ultimately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an amateur make the cut and play the weekend?
Yes. Amateurs who finish inside the top 70 and ties advance to the final two rounds. They cannot accept prize money, but they can compete for the Wanamaker Trophy (and low-amateur honors). In 2024, nine amateurs started the tournament; none made the cut.
What if exactly 70 players make the cut?
Then the weekend field is exactly 70. This happens when no ties occur at the 70th-place score. It’s uncommon because scores often bunch, but it’s possible. For example, the 2018 PGA Championship had a cut at 2-over with exactly 70 players advancing.
Does the PGA Championship use a 10-stroke rule?
No. Unlike the Masters, U.S. Open, and Open Championship, there is no provision to add players within 10 strokes of the lead if they are outside the top 70. This makes the PGA cut purely positional.
When was the last change to the cut rule?
The most recent change came in 2019, when the PGA of America eliminated the secondary cut after 54 holes. Before that, the field was trimmed again on Saturday to roughly the top 70 (or top 60 in some years). Now anyone who makes the Friday cut gets four full rounds.
Why did only 43 players make the cut in 2020?
At TPC Harding Park, scoring was relatively low, and the 1-over cut line had very few ties. Only 43 players finished at 1-over or better, so the field was unusually small. That’s an edge case that highlights how course and weather conditions directly affect cut-line size.
Understanding the cut rule helps you predict who survives the weekend and explains why the field size can swing from 43 to 81 players. Check the official leaderboard late Friday to confirm where the line falls.
Michael Reeves is a PGA Professional with over 20 years of experience in competitive golf and instruction. A former Division I collegiate player at the University of Texas, he competed on the mini-tours before transitioning to full-time coaching and golf journalism. He has been a certified PGA teaching professional since 2005 and has worked with players at every level, from absolute beginners to collegiate champions.
His writing has appeared in Golf Digest, Golf Magazine, and The Left Rough. At GolfHubz, Michael leads the editorial team, overseeing fact-checking and ensuring every answer meets the same standard he demands on the lesson tee: clear, evidence-based, and immediately useful.
When he’s not writing or teaching, Michael plays to a +1.4 handicap at his home club in Austin, Texas. He has attended over 40 major championships as a journalist and fan, and has played more than 200 courses across 15 countries.
You can reach Michael at [email protected] or follow his occasional swing analysis posts on the site.
