Taylor Montgomery withdraws from the 2024 PGA Championship, CT Pan to replace him

The final field of the 2024 PGA Championship was announced on Monday, May 13, after the results of the Wells Fargo Championship and the Myrtle Beach Championship on the PGA Tour. However, hours later, the first change to the list occurred.

Taylor Montgomery withdrew from the second major of the season without the causes of the decision being known so far. The news was released by PGA Tour Communications on X (formerly Twitter):

"Taylor Montgomery WD from PGA Championship. C.T. Pan now IN."

Taylor Montgomery's place was taken by CT Pan, the first player on the list of alternates for the PGA Championship. Now the first alternate is Nate Lashley.

This is the third withdrawal of the season for Taylor Montgomery, who has played 13 tournaments during 2024, with seven cuts made. He has finished in three Top 25s, with a T11 at The Players Championship as his best finish.

CT Pan, meanwhile, has played 10 tournaments, with six cuts made (one withdrawal). His best result of the season was a T3 finish at the Mexico Open at Vidanta.

Additionally, CT Pan's presence in the 2024 PGA Championship gives the possibility of seeing one more major for legendary caddie Mike "Fluff" Cowan, who now works with the Taiwanese.

Before Taylor Montgomery, Steve Striker had withdrawn from the championship, claiming he was not in good shape. His place was taken by alternate Alex Smalley.

Another alternate who managed to take a place in the field was S.H. Kim, who entered thanks to Rory McIlroy (already qualified) winning the Wells Fargo Championship.

Has an alternate ever won the PGA Championship?

Alternates are players who did not qualify for a tournament (the PGA Championship in this case) but are kept as reserves to occupy a place in the field in case one of the qualified players cannot play.

One of them managed to be crowned in the event. He is none other than popular star John Daly, who entered the 1991 edition as the ninth alternate and ended up winning the first of his two major championships.

John Daly was nowhere near the Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Indiana (home of the 1991 edition), when he received the call that Nick Price was withdrawing from the event due to the birth of his first child. The call came Wednesday afternoon and Daly was to be ready to tee off Thursday morning.

Daly drove 10 hours from Tennessee to Indiana and arrived in the early hours of Thursday morning, so he had to play without even having had a practice round. Daly carded rounds of 69, 67, 69 and 71 (12-under 276) to defeat Bruce Lietzke by three strokes.