2021 PGA Championship cut: The unique way the cutline is determined at Kiawah

It’s Friday at the PGA Championship, which means it’s officially cut day at the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island. But the cut works differently at golf’s second major than at most other tournaments in professional golf. Below is everything you need to know about how the cutline is determined.

Who’s in danger of missing the cut?

Of all the potential cutline victims on Friday at the PGA, Jordan Spieth could be the first. The three-time major champ rests at three over at the turn, right around the projected cutline and with many of the toughest holes on the golf course still to play. An MC at the PGA Championship would be Spieth’s first since 2014, and his first at a major championship since last fall’s U.S. Open.

Elsewhere, a big-name afternoon grouping could head off two cutline casualties. Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy — a pair of former PGA Championship winners (2017 and 2012, 2014, respectively) — could be on the outs in the 1:58 p.m. ET group. Thomas and McIlroy enter Friday at three-over, and will each need strong performances to ensure their place on the weekend.

Other names at risk: Daniel Berger, Webb Simpson, Patrick Reed and Sergio Garcia.

So why are all these big names on the verge of not playing into the weekend? Well, in part thanks to the brutal conditions at Kiawah Island, and in part thanks to the PGA Championship’s unique cutline, which is set unusually compared to other professional events.

How is the PGA Championship cutline determined?

At the PGA, only the top 70 players and ties are welcome into the weekend. Everyone else, for better or worse, is left to spend Saturday and Sunday elsewhere.

So, what does that mean on Friday? Well, only time will tell. But with winds expected to pick up on the Ocean Course heading into the afternoon, it’s possible the number could rise even more.