GOLF: Jake Knapp withdraws from PGA Championship

Jake Knapp will miss the PGA Championship due to an ongoing injury concern, withdrawing on Monday because of a left thumb sprain that has disrupted his recent run on the PGA Tour.

Tom Hoge, who was first on the alternate list, will replace Knapp in the 156-player field this week at Aronimink Golf Club.

Knapp, 31, has not competed on tour since tying for 74th out of 82 players at the RBC Heritage. He has not publicly commented on the injury, but it is believed to have occurred during that event.

Since then, Knapp has also withdrawn from the Cadillac Championship and the Truist Championship, both $20 million signature events leading into the PGA Championship. The injury halts what had been a strong season for him, highlighted by five top-10 finishes between January and March and an 11th-place finish at the Masters.

Hoge, 36, is a PGA Tour winner, having claimed his lone victory at the 2022 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He missed the cut in three major championships last year, with his best major result coming at the 2022 PGA Championship, where he tied for ninth.

Meanwhile, Kevin Yu of Taiwan moves up to first alternate status.

— Field Level Media / Reuters