Two past champions to skip PGA Championship

Like the Masters, winners of the PGA Championship receive a lifetime exemption. But not everyone always uses it.

That’s the case again this year, with two past winners of the Wanamaker trophy opting to sit out of the second men’s major of the year.

John Daly, who won the tournament in 1991, and Rich Beem, the 2002 PGA champion, have both chosen to skip Quail Hollow.

Daly, however, will tee it up in a major championship. In a remarkable schedule clash, the Regions Tradition in Alabama – the first of five majors on the PGA Tour Champions – is also held next week.

“I can go there [PGA] and miss the cut and get $6,000,” Daly told Doug Ferguson. “But I’m playing Birmingham. I love Regions. They’re a great sponsor.”

The 59-year-old had surgery on his left hand in January but is determined to at the very least compete with the seniors.

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The biggest disappointment for Daly is missing the chance to see friends like Brooks Koepka.

“I’m like Lazarus — I keep coming back from the dead,” he said. “Waking up is a win for me.

“But why are they scheduling Regions the same week as the PGA Championship, where I can see Brooks and all the guys?”

Meanwhile, Beem, who is prominent on Sky Sports, wasn’t keen to repeat his struggles at Valhalla last year.

The 54-year-old defeated Tiger Woods to lift the historic PGA prize but was brought back down to earth when he missed the cut 12 months ago.

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“I got my (butt) handed to me last year,” he said. “Even though I had success at Bethpage (2019), you lose ten yards, you might as well lose 100.”

Beem plans to skip the 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink but will return the following year when it’s staged at PGA Frisco, in Texas.

Other past champions Davis Love III (recovering from heart surgery) and YE Yang are also not in next week’s field.

John Turnbull A graduate of the University of Stirling, John joined the bunkered team in 2023 as a Content Producer, with a responsibility for covering all breaking news, tour news, grassroots content and much more besides. A keen golfer, he plays the majority of his golf at Falkirk Tryst Golf Club. Top of his 'bucket list' is a round of Pebble Beach... ideally in the company of Gareth Bale.