The Ryder Cup will be played in Rome this fall as scheduled (September 29 – October 1). But the question regarding player eligibility and the makeup of the teams, already complicated by the earlier creation of LIV Golf, has been muddled further by its recently announced merger with the PGA TOUR.
With only three months remaining before the world’s most intensely watched team competition begins, the situation is as clear as a pint of stout and may drag on for the rest of the summer.
The matter is clearer on the European side, where DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley reiterated in a published statement that a player must be a member of the European Tour to be considered for the Ryder Cup.
“They [European players who joined the LIV Tour] would have to ask for reinstatement and there would have to be proof of an exceptional circumstance to allow it,” Pelley wrote. “I stress again, it would be difficult and highly unlikely that that would happen.”
Unanswered Questions
But the American Ryder Cup team operates under the auspices of the PGA of America, not the PGA TOUR, and no official statement has been forthcoming from the organization.
“The Ryder Cup is run by the PGA, not the TOUR,” said World Golf Hall of Famer Lee Trevino, a six-time Ryder Cup player and the captain in 1985. “Even if the TOUR says you can’t do it … baloney! The CEO of the PGA asked me what I would do and I said Brooks Koepka is the first guy I’d invite. He’s got to have a spot.”
Koepka, by winning the recent PGA Championship at Oak Hill, essentially forced his way onto the U.S. Ryder Cup team. It would be virtually impossible to leave him off the roster after he nearly won the Masters in April and decisively claimed his fifth major in May. To omit Koepka because he competes for LIV Golf would be widely viewed as short-sighted and vindictive.
“The LIV guys are still members of the PGA of America, so they’re still getting points,” said Steve Stricker, who captained the Americans to victory in 2021 at Whistling Straits. “I think it would be difficult to finish within the top six just because they’re only playing the four majors to get points and these other guys are playing a lot of weeks. They’re still eligible to make the team, but whether they get a pick or not, would be up to Zach (Johnson, U.S. Captain).”
Considering Options
The drama will continue through the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool in July, the final chance for the LIV players to earn OWGR points. Zac Johnson is being coy about using any of his six captain’s picks on players from LIV Golf, while European captain Luke Donald said he is considering all his options.
Johnson brushed aside any discussion of LIV players being named for the U.S. team during a briefing at the PGA Championship. He said, “It’s too premature, frankly irresponsible, to even have any sort of opinion about that.” Johnson said he has not begun to have conversations with those in his inner circle about possible choices.
European captain Luke Donald has a tougher task on his hands when it comes to the makeup of the team and probably can’t afford to be as picky as his American counterpart. Donald took the job after Henrik Stenson had the captaincy revoked when he joined LIV in 2022.
But, based on Pelley’s unyielding stance, Donald finds himself without Ryder Cup stalwarts like Stenson, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood, who all resigned from the DP World Tour and are therefore not allowed to be chosen. Westwood has played on a record 11 Ryder Cup teams. Garcia has been on 10 teams and is the all-time points leader. Poulter has been on seven teams and Stenson has played on five. Their combined Ryder Cup record is 71-48-17.
Emotional Conditions
That leaves Donald to round out his team with Ryder Cup rookies like Victor Perez, Yannik Paul, Adrian Meronk, Jorge Campillo and Seamus Power—even Ludvig Aberg, the world’s No. 1-ranked amateur who turned pro after finishing his college career this spring. None have played under the hot emotional conditions that abound during the Ryder Cup.
The Americans have their own tough choices to make regarding LIV players. Koepka moved up to No. 2 on the Ryder Cup points lead after winning the PGA Championship. The next LIV players on the OWGR following the PGA Championship were Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau, who tied for fourth at the PGA.
Koepka, Johnson and DeChambeau were members of the winning 2021 U.S. team and all want to represent their country when the Ryder Cup is held at the Marco Simone Golf Course in Rome.
Koepka said, “If I handle my business out here, everything will take care of itself. If I handle my business, I feel like I should be fine. But it’s not up to me. It’s up to Zach and what goes on. I’ll just play my best and see what happens.”
Dustin Johnson went 5-0 in the 2021 Ryder Cup, a feat that hadn’t been accomplished since Larry Nelson in 1979. Despite those credentials, he said, “I have no idea if I’d get picked. If I continue to play well for the rest of the year, then obviously there’s a chance. I would definitely like to play in the Ryder Cup. It’s one of my favorite events to play in.”
Mood Threats
But the problem goes deeper than just results. If there are lingering bad feelings between the PGA TOUR players and the LIV players, it could feed into the team room and disrupt the chemistry. All parties have played “nice” at the two first two major championships, but Stricker isn’t sure it would work during the Ryder Cup.
“It’s not a great situation,” Stricker said. “I don’t really know if it would work if they made the team to be quite honest. Some of the [LIV] players have said some things and I don’t think that set well with the current guys who have stuck with the TOUR and supported the TOUR.”
DeChambeau [LIV player], who carried a Ryder Cup umbrella during the PGA Championship, is optimistic the problem will get solved. He pointed out that there was no money involved, only national pride.
“At the end of the day, both sides are going to have to come together at some point,” DeChambeau said. “It’s for the good of the game.”
This was first published in Essential Golf – you can read the complete magazine here.