Days After the $3,000,000,000 Merger, Uncertainty Over Million-Dollar Question in LIV Golf Camp Hints Towards a Dark Reality

LIV London, the ninth of the fourteen events in the 2023 LIV Golf season, kicked off on Friday at the Centurion Club in St Albans. This is the league’s second tournament since the announcement of the near $3,000,000,000 PGA Tour-LIV merger.

As the likes of Brooks Koepka, Cam Smith, Dustin Johnson, and more compete for the title, much uncertainty looms over their future in the wake of the controversial new union. With the golf world set to undergo a seismic shift down the road, one LIV pro opened up about his future expectations!

LIV pro reflects on his expectations in the wake of thePGAT-LIV merger

So far in 2023, no other player on LIV Golf has seen as much success as Talor Gooch. He has managed to pick up three wins this season, ahead of several golf heavyweights and major winners! Despite a stunning season, however, Gooch hasn’t been able to recreate those feats outside of LIV. His place on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) has only deteriorated, as LIV Golf tournaments aren’t awarded any points. The Oklahoma native further failed to be eligible for the US Open due to a change in the rules.

In fact, Brooks Koepka is the only player in LIV who has seen considerable success outside of the breakaway league. He not only won the PGA Championship but is also currently a Ryder Cup hopeful. And the Ryder Cup is one prestigious event that every golfer dreams of playing in, including Gooch.

During his first-round press conference in London, Gooch shared that his goal was to be so good that even Team USA captain Zach Johnson couldn’t deny it. “My voice probably isn’t going to mean much. My play is what’s going to matter,” he said.

At the moment, there are six spots open for automatic qualification, and Koepka is currently sitting in third place. The top six players on the list on August 20 will automatically qualify for the event in September. Johnson will get six captain’s picks, something that Gooch is currently relying on. The Ryder Cup captain has mostly deflected questions about LIV players making it onto his team. But the brand-new merger that saw the league and the rival PGA Tour quash all existing conflicts may mean good things for the likes of Gooch, Bryson DeChambeau, and Dustin Johnson.

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“I would say there’s a large portion of the entire golf world that just hopes the best of the best are there on both sides of the pond,” Gooch further added on Friday. “I think everybody wins when the best are playing against each other.”

LIV golfers remain optimistic about their Ryder Cup chances following the merger

Back in May, LIV’s Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, and Sergio Garcia were among the players who resigned from the DP World Tour. The move further made the players ineligible for this year’s Ryder Cup tournament near Rome, Italy.

The news saddened many, considering the players’ stellar records in the biennial event. But, with the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and LIV deciding to unite, the European Ryder Cup heroes may eventually get to return to the tournament once again. “The Ryder Cup has been a huge part of my life over the last 20 years,” Poulter shared ahead of LIV London. “It goes without saying how much I’ve loved playing it, and to be in a position we are today where the powers that be are actually trying to work things out is good for golf.”

Graeme McDowell, twice a Team Europe vice captain, earlier spoke out in support of the LIV rebels as well. He opined that the European Tour chiefs would be foolish not to consider Poulter, Westwood, and Garcia for their teams. The trio has appeared in a total of 28 Ryder Cups. The 2017 Masters winner, Garcia (28.5), is even the competition’s record points scorer!

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What do you think the future holds for LIV players at the Ryder Cup? Tell us in the comments below!