Worries from American LIV Golfers over their eligibility for next year’s Ryder Cup have been soothed, with the PGA of America giving players from the Saudi-backed circuit a green light to compete.
The PGA of America, which operates the Ryder Cup for the United States, announced on Thursday that LIV Golf players will be eligible for both the US Ryder Cup team and the PGA Championship.
“To ensure the PGA Championship will continue to deliver the strongest field in golf and that the US Ryder Cup teams 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,” the PGA of America said in a statement.
“Going forward, all LIV Golf players are eligible for the PGA Championship and any American player who qualifies for the Ryder Cup on points or is added to the US team as a captain’s pick is eligible to compete.
“This is consistent with LIV Golf players competing in the PGA Championship the past two years. Brooks Koepka was a member of the US Ryder Cup team last year.”
The announcement comes after The Telegraph reported that US Open champion and LIV Golfer Bryson DeChambeau was a doubt for next year’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, with the PGA of America’s pathway for LIV players unclear at the time.
US Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley said at last month’s BMW Championship that he will be picking “the best 12 players” for next year’s event, and the PGA of America need to “figure that out”.
“I’m going to have the best 12 players, so the PGA of America … need to figure that out, if that’s their problem,” Bradley said.
“I know you have to be a PGA member to play in the Ryder Cup. That’s the only stipulation that you need. So we’ll make sure if some of those guys that we think might make the team, we’ll make sure that they are a member.”
Kerry Haigh, the PGA of America’s chief championships officer and interim CEO, explained that the move means LIV Golf was added to the organization’s list of approved tours.
“It’s more of a cleanup,” Haigh told the Golf Channel. “We’ve added the LIV tour to the list of tours that are eligible towards A-3 membership, which all [PGA] Tour members are eligible for.
“The LIV players had previously been…
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