Washington (AFP) – Reigning US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau said Friday a decision to allow LIV Golf players into the US Ryder Cup team and PGA Championship will spark a return to more events by talent from the upstart series. The PGA of America announced its decision on Thursday, saying it wanted to ensure the best US talent for the Ryder Cup squad and top fields for the PGA.
Since Saudi-backed LIV Golf launched in 2022 and lured away several big name PGA Tour stars, the US tour has banned LIV players from its events, making it difficult for LIV players to earn world ranking points and qualify for majors. The majors have been the place where stars from both tours meet, with the events issuing special invitations at times to ensure their fields include the game’s best. The PGA of America decision ensures LIV eligibility for major spots at the PGA Championship and on US Ryder Cup squads.
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LIV’s Brooks Koepka played for the Americans last year after he won the PGA Championship. “To see that they came out and made that statement is great reassurance that us players will eventually have a pathway, whether it be exemptions or whatnot, to play in the Ryder Cup and other tournaments as such,” DeChambeau said Friday at the LIV Golf Team Championship in Dallas. DeChambeau captains the Crushers, the top-seeded defending LIV team champions.
DeChambeau, the 2020 and 2024 US Open champion, expects more opportunities to come for LIV golfers. “I think it’s just the start,” he said. “I think it’s the beginning to opening up the ecosystem back to a place where players can play across numerous tours and support different charities and tournaments alike in different countries and regions. I think it’s a great first step.”
Talks continue between PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) about a merger deal, but stumbling blocks remain over how to reinstate LIV players and impose punishments on PGA defectors.
© 2024 AFP
