14 big names that missed the cut at the PGA Championship
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A host of major champions – including former holders of the Wanamaker Trophy – failed to make the weekend at Quail Hollow…
It’s done. The cut has been made at the PGA Championship and more than half of the field are headed home. Among them are some big names, pre-tournament favorites, and the man with the longest active cut streak in the majors.
The cut fell at one-over par and sent 82 of the 156 players packing from North Carolina, ending their hopes of hoisting that giant trophy into the air on Sunday evening.
One man who did make the weekend is defending champion Xander Schauffele, who extended his incredible streak of made cuts to 64 events and avoided an unwanted record in the process. He made it through on the number, as did Rory McIlroy in his first major since completing the career Grand Slam at The Masters.
Here’s who suffered halfway heartbreak at Quail Hollow…
Who were the biggest names to miss the cut at the 2025 PGA Championship?
Jordan Spieth
76-68 (+2)
Spieth’s form had been so bad going into some more recent PGA Championships that people were not even mentioning the Grand Slam to him. But he came here saying he felt inspired by Rory McIlroy and that the topic was back on the table. A rousing 68 on Friday wasn’t enough to rescue the dream and it’s onto Aronimink we go. That course is far more suited to you anyway, Jordan…
Shane Lowry
73-71 (+2)
Unlike his good friend Rory McIlroy, the Irishman is not a fan of Quail Hollow, and his disdain for the place will certainly have grown as he boards the plane home. Lowry took a chunk out of the turf in frustration after finding himself in someone else’s plug mark on the 8th hole of his second round, but he recovered from that and was inside the cut line with three holes to play. Unfortunately for the Ryder Cup star, the Green Mile claimed another victim as Lowry bogeyed the 16th and couldn’t get one back across the final two holes. If we’re looking for positives, it’s his first missed cut since the Farmers Insurance Open in January. Oh, and it’s not long until Portrush, which he definitely likes.
Sepp Straka
73-71 (+2)
Last week’s Truist Championship winner might not be looking forward to defending his title when the tournament returns to its regular home next season (that’s here at Quail Hollow, in case you missed it). The Austrian was even closer to making the weekend than Ryder Cup partner Lowry, making his costly bogey on the 17th hole. Perhaps the pair of them can spend the weekend discussing tactics for Bethpage – or playing cricket with Straka’s trophy.
Justin Thomas
73-72 (+3)
This is just JT’s second missed cut in this particular major. But he’s been here and done it. Onto Oakmont and Portrush to resume his bid to win a major played on proper golf courses.
Ludvig Aberg
70-75 (+3)
Oh, Ludde. Not in front of the Ryder Cup captain! It all started so well, too. The Swede, starting on the back-nine, was 2-under for the tournament going into the Green Mile. He played Quail’s notoriously difficult closing stretch in 7-over par and that was all, folks.
Hideki Matsuyama
72-73 (+3)
Matsuyama was the proud owner of the longest active streak of made cuts in the Majors heading to Quail Hollow, but misses his first weekend since the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush.
Doing those putting drills in Monday’s torrential rain feels even more silly now…
Patrick Reed
72-74 (+4)
The former Masters champion was a favorite outside the favorites going into the tournament off the back a 3rd-place finish at Augusta, but a double-bogey at the 2nd – his 11th – ended his hopes at Quail Hollow.
Jason Day
73-75 (+6)
The former World No.1 was marking ten years since his win at Whistling Straits and finished T9 here in 2017, but the Aussie couldn’t find the same magic as he missed his first cut since last year’s US Open. Positives? His clothing choices passed without any comments.
Cameron Smith
78-71 (+7)
Came into the tournament on the back of three LIV Golf top-10s but the Aussie’s major form has deserted him. Since his T6 at last year’s Masters, Smith has gone T63-T32-MC-MC-MC.
Justin Rose
76-75 (+9)
Withdrew midway through last week’s Truist Championship at Philly Cricket citing illness and looked every bit like a 44-year-old who had barely practised. A huge shame, because the Englishman would have fancied his chances here.
Brooks Koepka
75-76 (+9)
What’s going on with Brooksy? The first red flag was that he was meant to speak to the press ahead of the tournament and he never showed up. Formerly a major machine, he admitted at Augusta that being a dad has changed his perspective somewhat. But that can’t be the whole story, can it? This is the first time the 35-year-old has missed the cut at the PGA, and the first time he’s missed consecutive major weekends since his very first two way back in 2012 and ’13.
Phil Mickelson
79-72 (+9)
The two-time PGA champion’s opening 79 was his worst round ever in this particular major. (And, because we know you’re thinking it too, Lefty’s worst round in any major was a 15-over 85 at Royal Birkdale in ’88.) This MC was hardly a surprise given his form over on LIV Golf, but it’s still sad to see. Perhaps not as sad as watching him take four to escape a bunker in a second round that saw him mix seven birdies with four bogeys and a quad. Still, given that Phil didn’t arrive at Quail Hollow until 6pm on Wednesday, he clearly wasn’t that bothered about spending too long here.
Russell Henley
77-75 (+10)
The World No.8 and Arnold Palmer Invitational winner has only missed two cuts since last year’s Players Championship. Unfortunately for the American, they’ve both come in the last few weeks and both been at the majors. The 36-year-old made the weekend in all four Grand Slam events in 2024 and will be hoping he can find the form that helped him to a T7 at the US Open and 5th at The Open – his best results in those events.
Dustin Johnson
78-76 (+12)
It doesn’t really feel like DJ has ever got over the 2010 PGA Championship, when he was assessed a two-shot penalty on the 72nd hole that cost him a spot in the playoff with Bubba Watson and eventual champion Martin Kaymer. That, and the general feeling that these days he plays golf with the enthusiasm of a man that would rather be anywhere else on the planet.
Every player who missed the PGA Championship cut
+2
Jake Knapp
Jordan Spieth
Tom Hoge
Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen
Sepp Straka
Shane Lowry
Akshay Bhatia
+3
Keith Mitchell
Niklas Norgaard
Justin Thomas
Ludvig Aberg
Hideki Matsuyama
Takumi Kanaya
Thriston Lawrence
John Catlin
Victor Perez
+4
Patrick Reed
Matt McCarty
Gary Woodland
Jimmy Walker
Patrick Fishburn
Seamus Power
Rickie Fowler
Thomas Detry
Min Woo Lee
Eugenio Chacarra
+5
Sungjae Im
Keita Nakajima
Max McGreevy
Daniel van Tonder
+6
Jacob Bridgeman
Will Zalatoris
Nick Taylor
Dean Burmester
David Thompson
Jason Day
Patrick Cantlay
Lee Hodges
+7
Erik van Rooyen
Cameron Smith
Johnny Keefer
+8
Shaun Micheel
Martin Kaymer
John Parry
Laurie Canter
Andrew Novak
Nick Dunlap
+9
Sami Valimaki
Mackenzie Hughes
Patrick Rodgers
Tyler Collet
Justin Rose
John Somers
Brooks Koepka
Phil Mickelson
+10
Bob Sowards
Michael Kartrude
Eric Steger
Russell Henley
Tom Johnson
+11
Adam Hadwin
Ryan Lenahan
Karl Vilips
Rico Hoey
Jesse Droemer
Dylan Newman
+12
Dustin Johnson
Brandon Bingaman
+13
Jason Dufner
Timothy Wiseman
Justin Hicks
Bobby Gates
+14
Brian Bergstol
+15
Michael Block
+16
Nic Ishee
+19
Larkin Gross
Andre Chi
+22
Rupe Taylor
+23
Greg Koch
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Brooks Koepka missed the cut at the PGA Championship for the very first time.
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Sepp Straka won the Truist Championship but couldn't make the cut in the PGA Championship.
