“They are not going to be eligible,” said Mike Weir, the skipper of the President’s Cup International team. Who was he referring to? Well, the golfer was alluding to the LIV Golf Pros who are currently banned from teeing off in the PGA Tour. But he didn’t mean every player who defected, just the ones aside from the European golfers, the latter of whom have the leeway to play in the Ryder Cup.

As per the rules set aside by the President’s Cup, the first 6 spots on the International team have been filled by the top golfers in the OWGR. However, those eligible for the European Ryder Cup squad, or in short, the European golfers, wouldn’t be made a part of the same. As for the rest of the team (read captain’s picks), Mike Weir will announce the wildcard entries on September 3, at 1 P.M. But the community can’t help but ask; who would have made it to his team if the ‘No LIV Golf’ rule was absent?

Non-European LIV Golf Pros who would have made it to Mike Weir’s team

1. Joaquin Niemann: Indubitably the most successful LIV golfer this year after Jon Rahm, the Chilean athlete has been phenomenal this season. Over the 12 starts he made on the Saudi-backed league, the pro clinched nine top-10 finishes, including two victories and a runner-up finish at Mayakoba, Jeddah, and the United Kingdom respectively.

That’s not all. The 25-year-old had also finished T9 at the recently ended Olympics before which he had placed T3 at the International Series Oman, and a T4 at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. Interestingly, he was a part of the International team back at the 2019 edition of the President’s Cup. Although he failed to leave a mark then, this time around might have been different owing to the momentum he is currently in!

2. Cameron Smith: Ranked 93rd in the world at the moment, the Australian golfer has had a good year so far on the PIF-funded circuit. He boasts a total of seven top-10 finishes out of 11 starts, with the best coming off three runner-up placements in Hong Kong, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. Moreover, he also claimed the sixth spot at Augusta National during the 2024 Masters Tournament, making him a likely captain’s pick by Mike Weir had the LIV Golf Pros been made eligible to play in the biennial tournament.

3. Anirban Lahiri: He is undoubtedly the topmost-ranked Indian golfer on the OWGR after Shubhankar Sharma. Before joining the LIV Golf circuit, the athlete had, back in 2022, risen through the OWGR owing to his finishes. Fast forward to the current season, although he only boasts three top-10 finishes on the Saudi-backed league including a T2 at Andalucia, the pro has played an integral part in helping his team clinch the top spot in the rankings ahead of Chicago. Moreover, he also boasts a total of two appearances at the President’s Cup, in 2015 and 2017, making him a veteran at the same.

4. Louis Oosthuizen: Currently placed at T5 on the season-long LIV Golf leaderboard, the golfer from South Africa has represented the International Team a total of four times. However, his streak which started in 2013 through 2019 broke in 2022 after he defected to LIV Golf. Had the ‘No LIV golfer’ rule not been there, then the athlete who carded 7 top-10 finishes this season would have been an obvious choice for Mike Weir’s captain’s pick.

5. Dean Burmester: The next South African golfer on the list after Oosthuizen, the 35-year-old is currently placed at the 8th position on the season-long LIV Golf leaderboard. Through the year, he has raked in four top-10 placements from 12 starts, including a win at the Miami event. This, consequently, allowed his team to rake in a podium finish four times this season. He would have undoubtedly been a golfer to look out for if the players from the Saudi-backed league were made eligible for Mike Weir’s team.

These are but some of the professionals from the PIF-funded circuit who would have been a great addition to the International team led by Weir. Do you agree with the list, or are there any more golfers that need to be added? Regardless of their inclusion or exclusion, the fans can be sure of one thing; an exciting competition is in the cards as the President’s Cup tees off on September 24 at The Royal Montreal Golf Club!