There were several standout performances from LIV Golf players at The Masters, most notably joint runners-up Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson and Patrick Reed, who tied for fourth.
As well as the advantages that came with those displays, including prestige, prize money and Official World Golf Ranking points, they also accumulated precious Ryder Cup points, which are unavailable to them in LIV Golf tournaments.
However, is it realistic that one or more LIV Golf players could yet qualify for Zach Johnson’s team for the biennial tournament at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club later this year? It certainly looks more likely after last week.
There are two ways to qualify for Team USA – as one of six Captain’s Selections or finishing in the top six of the points list, with points available in tournaments until the end of the BMW Championship on 20 August.
While US LIV Golf players are suspended from the PGA Tour, some are eligible for Majors, and those tournaments offer the chance to earn the most points. The qualifying system awards one point per $1,000 earned in PGA Tour events, but that increases to 1.5 points in Majors and double for winning one of the big four tournaments.
Those performances from the three LIV Golf players at Augusta National have helped move them up the points list significantly. Unsurprisingly, it is currently headed by World No.2 Scottie Scheffler, while beneath him are fellow PGA Tour players Max Homa, Cameron Young, Sam Burns, Will Zalatoris and Collin Morikawa.
You don’t need to go too much further down the list to find the first LIV Golf player, though. Brooks Koepka jumped from 81 to 16 following last week’s tournament. Given his excellent form after returning to full health and the fact he is eligible for the remaining three Majors this year, more strong performances in them would give him a fantastic chance to breach the top six.
Something worth noting today:All indications are that, if a LIV player qualifies for the US team on points, they’re going to be on the team. A win or a runner-up finish for Koepka would be worth a ton of points. Play well in the remaining majors and it’s a real possibility.April 9, 2023
Further down the list, but not by much, is Phil Mickelson at number 20, who is also eligible for the remaining three Majors this year. The 52-year-old rolled back the years in the final round of The Masters shooting a historic 65, the lowest score ever recorded by an over 50 at the tournament.
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