Phil Mickelson has also pulled out citing an ongoing family health matter, leaving golf's marquee major without its two biggest drawcards for the second straight event.

The 108th PGA Championship runs May 14-17 at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, with neither Woods nor Mickelson in a 156-player field that now includes LIV Golf champion Dustin Johnson as a special invitee.

Woods Sidelined After March DUI Arrest

Woods, 50, was arrested on March 27 on suspicion of DUI after his Land Rover clipped a trailer and rolled onto its side on Jupiter Island, Florida.

He was charged with misdemeanor DUI with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful breathalyser test, then pleaded not guilty. A judge approved his legal team's request to seek treatment internationally, citing the golfer's "repeatedly compromised" privacy as a barrier to proper care in the US.

Woods said in a statement: "This is necessary in order for me to prioritise my well-being and work toward lasting recovery."

It is his second DUI-related incident in Florida, following a 2017 arrest in which he was found unconscious in his Mercedes-Benz.

Mickelson's withdrawal follows an equally disrupted start to his 2026 season. The three-time PGA Championship winner announced before the Masters last month that he was stepping away from competitive golf for an extended period due to an unspecified family health matter.

He has since skipped all but one LIV Golf event this year, appearing only at LIV South Africa in March, and will not tee it up at Aronimink.

"I wish I could," Mickelson said. "I can't unfortunately. I'm hoping to play the rest of the year after that, but honestly I don't know."

Homa Steps In as Johnson Earns Surprise Call-Up

Max Homa, who tied for ninth at Augusta National last month, was sitting in the first alternate position and slides directly into Mickelson's spot in the draw.

Dustin Johnson, the 2020 Masters betting favourite turned champion who left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf in 2022, received a special invitation from the PGA of America.

It will be his 69th consecutive major championship for which he is eligible, with other LIV members Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, and Cameron Smith also in the field.

The twin absences mark the first time since 1994 that neither Woods nor Mickelson has appeared at the Masters and the subsequent PGA Championship in the same season.

The pair have combined for nine majors across those two events alone, and their simultaneous absence signals a generational shift the game is still working through. For punters looking to understand the landscape, our how to bet on golf guide breaks down the key markets.

LIV Golf's own future is clouded after Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund withdrew its financial backing ahead of the 2026 season, adding further uncertainty to players, Mickelson among them, who made the move to the breakaway circuit.

Aronimink Golf Club, which last hosted the PGA Championship in 1962, kicks off tournament play on Thursday May 14.

First-round coverage begins around 9pm AEST, with the weekend rounds to follow on Saturday and Sunday mornings for Australian viewers. Check the latest golf betting odds ahead of the opening tee shots.