PGA of America clarifies Ryder Cup eligibility of LIV Golfers, PGA players

LIV Golfers will continue to be able to play in the PGA Championship and Ryder Cupbut they are still running out of ways to qualify.

The PGA of America, the governing body that runs the Major and the American side of the Ryder Cup, announced in a statement Thursday that LIV Golfers will remain eligible for both events.

But the statement stopped short of announcing new paths for breakaway league players to qualify for both events.

“To ensure that the PGA Championship will continue to offer the strongest field in golf and that the US Ryder Cup team will continue to have access to the best American players, the PGA of America board has determined that LIV Golf players they will be entitled to both,” the statement said. “Going forward, all LIV Golf players are eligible for the PGA Championship, and any American player who qualifies for the Ryder Cup in points or is added to Team USA as a captain is eligible to compete.”

The statement continues, stressing that the decision is not a departure from past practice in the two years the organization has organized the events since the start of LIV in 2022.

“This is consistent with LIV Golf players competing in the PGA Championship the past two years,” he continued. “Brooks Koepka was a member of the US Ryder Cup team last year.”

The announcement comes after reports in both Great Britain Telegraph AND Sports Illustrated that the PGA of America was reluctant to allow Koepka and other members of LIV Golf to retain their PGA of America memberships.

While the PGA Tour and PGA of America are separate entities, the PGA Tour’s suspension of all players who have joined LIV Golf means they are no longer active members of the PGA as well. Koepka, who was chosen as captain by US captain Zach Johnson for last year’s games in Rome after winning the 2023 PGA, was allowed to play thanks to a grace period on LIV Golfers’ PGA membership that expires at the end of this year. . The same goes for players competing in the PGA Championship.

Bryson DeChambeau finished second last year before winning the US Open in June and is currently third in the US Ryder Cup team standings.

Now the PGA is confirming that DeChambeau, Koepka and other US LIV stars Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed are eligible to either make the US points team or be selected for next year’s matches at Bethpage Black by captain Keegan Bradley.

But those players will still be hampered in qualifying for both events as players primarily earn entry to the PGA through the Official World Golf Ranking, for which LIV events do not earn points. Likewise, LIV events also do not award US Ryder Cup team qualifying points, which are based on money earned in majors and PGA Tour events.

The announcement, however, does not affect the participation of LIV’s European stars in the Ryder Cup as the European half of the event is owned by the DP World Tour. To qualify for the European team, LIV Golf players must be members of the DP World Tour, which means they pay the fines and serve the suspensions they were given after joining LIV.

Jon Rahm and Tyrell Hatton, two of Europe’s top players who went a combined 5-0-3 in Rome last year, are currently playing again on the DP World Tour after appealing those suspensions, but neither has paid their fines.

On Wednesday, 2023 European Ryder Cup member Justin Rose called for the ongoing negotiations between the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund to be expeditedthe parent company of LIV Golf, to ensure the inclusion of Rahm, Hatton and other LIV players in the 2025 Ryder Cup teams.

“I think we need things to accelerate quickly,” Rose explained at a press conference ahead of this week’s BMW PGA Championship on the DP World Tour. “Obviously, the guys that have gone to LIV – there’s been a period of time now where obviously we’re seeing scenarios with Tyrrell (Hatton) and Jon (Rahm) going as well, but they’re still very current in terms of form. playing in the Ryder Cup, and I know there are some great ones that have to be dotted and Ts that have to be crossed for them to be eligible, but I think the feeling in the team is that we want the best players to play. “

Jack Hirsch

Editor of Golf.com

Jack Hirsh is an assistant editor at GOLF. A native of Pennsylvania, Jack is a 2020 graduate of Penn State University, earning degrees in broadcast journalism and political science. He was captain of his high school golf team and recently returned to the program to serve as head coach. Jack also *tries* to remain competitive in the local amateurs. Prior to joining GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a television station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as a multimedia journalist/reporter, but also producing, anchoring and even presenting the weather. He can be reached at jack.hirsh@golf.com.