Is Brooks Koepka Allowed to Play For United States in the Ryder Cup? All We Know So Far

The 44th Ryder Cup is set to kick off later this year, and the teams for the highly coveted tournament are steadily taking shape. The biennial event will see Zach Johnson-led Team U.S. taking on Luke Donald’s Team Europe at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club near Rome, two years after the United States emerged winners at Whistling Straits.

However, with just four months left for the Ryder Cup, a big question looms over Brooks Koepka and what his chances are of making it into the event. So, will he be playing in his 4th Ryder Cup this year? Let’s find out!

Zach Johnson opens up about Brooks Koepka being in the Ryder Cup team

Brooks Koepka has been having a great year so far. Last month, the LIV pro came extremely close to winning the green jacket at Augusta but was eventually edged out by Jon Rahm. In the year’s second major, however, he bounced back into action, and how! Koepka’s heroics at Oak Hill last week saw him pick up his 3rd Wanamaker trophy and the 5th major title of his career.

The 33-year-old’s win has not only given a much-needed boost to Greg Norman’s league but has also exacerbated the debate surrounding the inclusion of LIV players in Ryder Cup teams. Currently, there are six spots open for automatic qualification, and Koepka shot to second place on that list after his latest victory. The top six players on the list on August 20 will automatically qualify for the event in September.

But what does captain Zach Johnson think of Koepka’s chances of playing for his team? Most recently, the 47-year-old opined that it was “premature” to have the conversation at the moment. “I think given where we’re at right now, there’s a lot of points out, No. 1,” Johnson told reporters after his final round at Oak Hill last Sunday. “No. 2, you’ve got a bunch of elevated events [upcoming], and No. 3, if you go back in history, there’s names right now that probably on both tours that we’re not even mentioning that could have a chance given what’s in front of us.”

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But the Ryder Cup captain stressed that Koepka is definitely on the team if he is in the top six. “He’s got direct ownership in that,” said the two-time major winner. Meanwhile, the PGA of America CEO also gave his two cents on the burning topic recently.

PGA of America CEO sheds light on Koepka’s Ryder Cup status

The discussion of LIV players making it into the Ryder Cup has now picked up steam once again. Even PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh couldn’t help but chime in! In fact, he had some surprising insights to offer after Koepka’s third Wanamaker Trophy win. “If he plays his way on the team, we will welcome him,” Waugh told Golf Channel‘s Todd Lewis. This surprised many since he has always been one of the harshest critics of the Saudi-backed league.

Koepka may be suspended from playing at PGA Tour events, but he can still rack up huge points in majors. If he can keep the momentum going at the U.S. Open and the Open Championship, the golfer definitely has a big chance of appearing in the Ryder Cup.

But what if he missed the cuts at the remaining two majors and dropped out of the top six? After all, in 2021, Phil Mickelson won the PGA Championship but eventually did not qualify for the Ryder Cup. Then-captain Steve Stricker did not pick him either. In this scenario, Johnson, who gets six captain’s picks, will have to make the decision. However, the golfer has remained significantly reticent about the hot topic.

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In his past three Ryder Cup appearances, Koepka has an impressive 6-5-1 record. Now, golf fans await to see if he will also get to represent Team USA in Europe this year. What do you think of the entire fiasco? Tell us in the comments!