PGA Championship 2025: How they determine the 36-hole cut line at Quail Hollow
PGA of America
There’s a mindset that sports psychologists discuss with their golfers that says if you’re thinking about making the cut when you start a golf tournament, you’re not really thinking about something that will have you playing your best. Rather, you’re limiting yourself with a semi-negative mindset that has a non-successful outcome attached to it.
Of course, the reality for any player in the field at the 2025 PGA Championship is that in order to win the tournament you have to, well, first make the cut. The goal, of course, is to make it without having to worry about making it, posting two good early scores that won’t have you looking on your phone to see where you are in relation to those around 70th place.
Indeed, white-knuckle Fridays are no fun for pro golfers, and the same will hold true at Quail Hollow Club. If you thought there were some angry players on Thursday due to the number of random mudballs that the wet golf course produced, just wait until those players are hovering on the cutline and see a glob of dirt on their ball with a hole or two to play. It's a formula that is likely to make watching the cutline a whole lot more entertaining—if not dramatic—this Friday.
Of course, that leads to an obvious question: How exactly do they determine the cutline at the PGA Championship. According to the tournament’s official guidelines:
“Following the first 36 holes of play, the field of 156 players will be reduced to the low 70 scores and ties. Those players will advance to complete the final two rounds.”
In other words, the cutline won’t be influenced by the play of first-round leader Jhonattan Vegas, who finished at seven-under 64 in the late evening on Thursday, or anyone else at the top of the leader board. The PGA of America does not use a 10-stroke rule to help determine who will be playing all 72 holes.
While much of the day, Datagolf.com was projecting a greater than 50 percent chance the cut comes at two-over 144, by 4:45 p.m. local time, the projection showed a 72 percent chance it would be one-over 143.
Among those who will be looking closely at the cutline is Rory McIlroy. The Northern Irishman entered the tournament a co-favorite, thanks of course to capping the career Grand Slam in April at the Masters, one of three wins he’s picked up in 2025, as well as being a four-time winner when Quail Hollow has hosted a PGA Tour event. But McIlroy’s driver was anything but cooperative on Thursday, as he struggled to find fairways and posted a surprisingly high three-over 74 score. Instead of talk about winning the second leg of the 2025 Grand Slam, McIlroy now has to grind just to make the weekend.
There are several other high profile players that are in similar situations to McIlroy. Justin Thomas, who won the PGA Championship the last time it was held at Quail Hollow in 2017, shot a two-over 73. Jordan Spieth, hoping to close out the career Grand Slam this week by grabbing the last major he has won, must try to make up for a five-over 76 on Thursday, as does Justin Rose, runner-up at the last two major championships. And hovering just inside the top 70 after Day 1 is defending champion Xander Schauffele (one-over 72).
The PGA of America’s “cut rule” is the same used at the Open Championship. The U.S. Open makes a cut at the low 60 players and ties. The Masters has a cut at the low 50 players and ties, bumping that number up and eliminating its 10-stroke rule in 2020.
Here's how the cutline has shaken out in the last eight PGA Championships:
2024 Valhalla: one-under 141 (78 players advance)
2023 Oak Hill: five-over 145 (76)
2022 Southern Hills: four-over 144 (79)
2021 Kiawah Island: five-over 149 (81)
2020 Harding Park: one-over 141 (79)
2019 Bethpage Black: four-over 144 (82)
2018 Bellerive: even-par 140 (80)
2017 Quail Hollow: five-over 147 (75)
The PGA Championship instituted a cut when the tournament changed from a match-play to stroke-play format in 1958. Originally, however, the championship had a double cut, one after 36 holes and a second cut after 65 holes. The championship reverted back to a single 36-hole cut in 1965 and has had it ever since.
For history buffs, Raymond Floyd, Jack Nicklaus and Phil Mickelson have made the most cuts—27—of any players in PGA Championship history. Floyd made 27 in 31 PGA starts, Nicklaus in 37 appearances and Mickelson in 31.
Here’s the next best players in PGA history:
Tom Watson, 25 of 33
Hale Irwin, 24 of 26
Arnold Palmer, 24 of 37
Jay Haas, 23 of 28
Tom Kite, 23 of 28
Gary Player, 21 of 23
You see Phil Mickelson there, the 53-year-old playing this week with the chance to move past Floyd and Nicklaus. However, he essentially played his way out of the tournament on Thursday, shooting an opening round eight-over 79 to leave him tied for 149th out of 156 players.
One of the bigger questions at the PGA is also whether any of the 20 club professionals competing will make the cut. Prior to 2019, only three club pros had made the weekend in the championship since 2011 (Brian Gaffney in 2015, Omar Uresti in 2017 and Ben Kern in 2018). However, at Bethpage, three club pros made the cut: Rob Labritz (T-60), Ryan Vermeer (T-80) and Marty Jertson (82nd). And three years ago at Kiawah, there were two who played on the weekend: Ben Cook (T-44) and Brad Marek (78).
And of course two years Michael Block not only made the cut but played great on the weekend, finishing with a one-over 281 total that left him tied for 15th. Block is in the field this week, but an opening-round 75 means he has work to do to repeat his Oak Hill showing.