With the Ryder Cup just under three months away, United States captain Zach Johnson is trying to make sure that any ties between LIV Golf and other circuits, including the PGA Tour, don’t get in the way of putting together a winning roster.
Johnson said Wednesday that he and the Ryder Cup committee already determined how they wanted to navigate the treacherous landscape that LIV has created in the golf world, and they are sticking to their guns.
“What’s transpiring in professional golf from a competitive level, competition level, is PGA Tour; right?” Johnson said. “It’s not PGA of America. So the individuals that are Americans that play on other tours that are not the PGA Tour, they could play, I mean, technically the Latin Tour or the Asian Tour or wherever.
“More times than not they’re going to be members of the PGA of America for a number of reasons. Our liability insurance is number one and some other benefits.”
Although he didn’t outwardly come out and say that LIV Golf members were welcome on Team USA, Johnson made it clear that nothing was barring them from securing a spot on the squad.
“These guys that left the PGA Tour that had status and left to play on that other tour, the LIV Tour, they’re still members of the PGA of America, so they are still able to garner points,” Johnson said. “They’re able to play in the PGA Championship as a result because that’s what the PGA of America runs. Obviously, technically, can still be a part of Team USA.”
Brooks Koepka, who is ranked 12th on the Official World Golf Ranking and won the 2023 PGA Championship after finishing tied for second at the Masters, is among those competing on the LIV circuit that Johnson has his eye on.
“Brooks is third on the list. The top six earn their berth after the BMW,” Johnson said. “I don’t know the date. Mid-August-ish in Chicago. So after that Sunday the top six are solidified, and then we make our six picks. The next week is the Tour Championship. The Tuesday after the Tour Championship is when I make the picks.
“We'll formulate 12 by then, but he has worked his way—he worked his way to second after the PGA Championship because of how well he played at the Masters and at the PGA Championship. The majors kind of last year too, but they were smaller in points. ... He has a really good chance of making the team, earning his way on the team, which is extremely impressive.”
The Ryder Cup begins on Sept. 29 and runs through Oct. 1.
