LIV Golfers Now Eligible For Ryder Cup, PGA Championship Under New Rules

Bryson DeChambeau lines up a putt on the first hole during the second round of the U.S. Open golf tournament in Pinehurst, N.C., on June 14, 2024. Matt York/AP Photo

LIV Golf players are expanding their profile with a new rule that will allow them to compete in the PGA Championship and U.S. Ryder Cup.

Under the new provision by the PGA of America, all LIV Golf players are eligible for the PGA Championship. In addition, any American player who qualifies for the Ryder Cup, a biennial golf competition between teams from the United States and Europe, on points or is added to the U.S. team as a captain’s pick is eligible to compete in those prestigious tournaments.

The ruling is consistent with LIV Golf players competing in the PGA Championship the past two years, according to the PGA of America. LIV golfer Brooks Koepka was a member of the U.S. Ryder Cup team last year.

Under the previous rule, LIV Golf players had to be granted exemptions to play in the PGA Championship and U.S. Ryder Cup. LIV Golf is funded by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and has attracted big-name stars such as Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson.

“To ensure the PGA Championship will continue to deliver the strongest field in golf and that the U.S. Ryder Cup team will continue to have access to the best American players, the PGA of America board has determined that LIV Golf players will be eligible for both,” PGA of America said in a statement.

Historically, if players wanted to be part of the U.S. Ryder Cup or PGA Championship, they had to be members of the PGA of America. The players who left to join LIV Golf gave up their PGA membership, creating questions about how to move forward with participation on the Ryder Cup team or PGA Championship.

The new rules now create a pathway for LIV players like Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau, who won this year’s U.S. Open by a stroke over Rory McIlroy. It also ensures that the nation’s best players can compete in some of the biggest tournaments.

For the 2024 Ryder Cup season, players earn points in The Players Championship, Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and The Open in Europe. Each U.S. player gains 1 point for every $1,000 earned if they make the cut. DeChambeau is currently third on the Ryder Cup rankings with 6,993 points, behind Xander Schauffele (9,580.956) and Scottie Scheffler (9,145.566)

There is plenty of time to adjust to the new rules because the next PGA Championship will not be played until May 2025 at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. The United States will host the 2025 Ryder Cup at the Bethpage Black Course in Farmington, New York, in September 2025.

However, now, the best players should be able to compete for the PGA Championship and also have the opportunity to earn one of 12 spots on the U.S. Ryder Cup team.

LIV Golf members in Europe must play in four DP World Tour events, such as the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship and the Dubai Invitational, per season to be eligible for their respective Ryder Cup teams.

The name LIV references the Roman numerals for 54—the number of holes played at the league’s events.