If you recall, one of the threats from PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, when members were considering joining LIV Golf last year, was that any defector would be unable to play for the U.S. Ryder Cup team.
Turns out that’s not necessarily the case. Players need to be a member of the PGA of America, not the PGA Tour, to play for the United States in the biannual event.
It was announced last month that because players now on the LIV circuit paid their PGA of America dues before June 30, 2022, they retain their membership through June 30 of this year. Existing rules call for a one-year grace period after a membership runs out, making them eligible for this September’s Ryder Cup in Italy.
Naturally, that brings up the status of Brooks Koepka, who is second in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings based on his runner-up at the Masters and win last week at the PGA Championship. With strong finishes in the final two majors, he could stay in the top six and earn an automatic berth.
To his end, PGA of America Ceo Seth Waugh says there will be no issue if Koepka earns his way onto the team.
Bold statement
PGA of America Ceo Seth Waugh says “If he plays his way on the team, we will welcome him.”#RyderCup pic.twitter.com/CeiXVD7cOu
— The Golf Grounds (@TheGolfGrounds) May 24, 2023
Waugh said this week:
“If he plays his way onto the team, we will welcome him.”
U.S. team captain Zach Johnson will pick six others to round out his team after the automatic qualifiers are confirmed. He said at the PGA Championship last week that it’s too early to tell if someone like Dustin Johnson (who was 5-0-0 at Whistling Straits in 2021) would be chosen for the team over a PGA Tour player.
Johnson said:
“[The decision] is not really on my radar right now. It’s really difficult for me to judge [the LIV players]. I don’t know the golf courses they’re playing. Never seen them. I’m not there on foot in person.”
The Ryder Cup is supposed to be the best golfers from two continents. There’s nothing in its charter/rules that specifies which tour they have to play. LIV players still hold PGA of America membership, which makes them eligible. If Zach doesn’t pick DJ & Brooks it’s malpractice. https://t.co/h31tvW3sSD
— Alan Shipnuck (@AlanShipnuck) May 17, 2023
It’s not clear how it would go over if Johnson were to pick someone from LIV over a PGA Tour player. But for Scottie Scheffler, who is first in the standings and a shoo-in to automatically qualify for the team, he just wants to win.
Scheffler said:
“I don’t care about tours or anything like that. I want to win the Ryder Cup. It’s something we talked about last year when we finished, or I guess a year and a half ago now. We want to beat those guys in Europe. It’s been a long time since we’ve beat them.”
The U.S. team won the Ryder Cup in dominating fashion in 2021, but Europe has won the last six renditions on their home soil. The last U.S. win in Europe came in 1993.
Cover Image Via USA Today
