With only one major championship played in 1945, the invitation criteria were modified. Eight amateurs and eight professionals were selected by a committee in February and four further professionals were invited just before the event. ;1. Masters champions •
Jimmy Demaret (7),
Ralph Guldahl (2,7),
Byron Nelson (2,6,7,8),
Henry Picard (6,7),
Horton Smith (7),
Craig Wood (2,7) •
Gene Sarazen (2,4,6,7) did not play. ;2.
U.S. Open champions •
Billy Burke (7),
Bobby Jones (3,4,5,7),
Lawson Little (3,5,7) ;3.
U.S. Amateur champions •
Dick Chapman (a) ;4.
British Open champions •
Denny Shute (6,8) ;5.
British Amateur champions •
Charlie Yates (7,a) ;6.
PGA champions •
Vic Ghezzi (8),
Bob Hamilton,
Sam Snead (7) ;7. Top 30 players and ties from the
1942 Masters Tournament •
Sammy Byrd (8),
Jim Ferrier,
Jim Foulis,
Chick Harbert,
Chandler Harper,
Dutch Harrison,
Ben Hogan,
Herman Keiser,
Gene Kunes,
Jug McSpaden,
Johnny Palmer,
Toney Penna,
Felix Serafin,
Jimmy Thomson •
Tommy Armour (2,4,6), Harry Cooper, Bobby Cruickshank, Willie Goggin, Paul Runyan (6) and Bud Ward (3,a) did not play. ;8.
1945 PGA Championship quarter-finalists •
Claude Harmon,
Ralph Hutchison,
Ky Laffoon •
Clarence Doser did not play. ;9. Selected amateurs, not already qualified •
Bob Cochran (a),
Fred Haas,
Cary Middlecoff (a),
Frank Stranahan (a) •
Ray Billows (a), Harry Givan (a), Chuck Kocsis (a), Jim McHale Jr. (a) did not play. Haas turned professional before the event. ;10. Selected professionals, not already qualified •
Herman Barron,
Johnny Bulla,
Ed Dudley,
Jimmy Hines,
Lloyd Mangrum,
Dick Metz,
Ed Oliver,
Jim Turnesa ;11. One amateur, not already qualified, selected by a ballot of ex-U.S. Amateur champions •
Tommy Suffern Tailer (a) did not play ;12. One professional, not already qualified, selected by a ballot of ex-U.S. Open champions •
Al Watrous ;13. Two players, not already qualified, with the best scoring average in the winter part of the 1946 PGA Tour •
Leland Gibson,
George Schneiter ;14. Additional invitations •
Clayton Heafner,
Rod Munday,
Buck White,
Al Zimmerman ==Round summaries==