The PGA of America has announced that American players signed to LIV Golf will be eligible for selection for the 2025 US Ryder Cup team. This decision was made to ensure that the PGA Championship continues to have the strongest field in golf and that the US Ryder Cup team has access to the best American players. All LIV Golf players are now eligible for the PGA Championship, and any American player who qualifies for the Ryder Cup on points or as a captain’s pick will also be eligible to compete.
Brooks Koepka, a LIV Golf player, was on the 2023 US Ryder Cup team due to a grace period that allowed him to temporarily retain his PGA of America membership despite signing with LIV. Another LIV Golf standout, Bryson DeChambeau, winner of the 2024 US Open, is currently sitting in third place on the 2025 Ryder Cup points list, which would automatically qualify him for the matches in New York next September.
LIV Golf members from Europe must play in four DP World Tour events in a single season to be eligible for their Ryder Cup team. Tyrrell Hatton, a LIV golfer, is hoping to accrue enough points from playing in DP World events to qualify for the 2025 Ryder Cup.
Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, both members of the Ryder Cup winning team from Rome, have appealed the fines imposed on them by the European Tour Group for playing in LIV Golf events that clash with DP World Tour events. If they lose their appeals, they could be ruled out of Ryder Cup contention. However, there may be a way around this by delaying the formalities of the challenge until after the US host Europe at Bethpage.
Guy Kinnings, the chief executive of the European Tour Group, has acknowledged that the appeals process may not be concluded before the Ryder Cup event. He is hopeful that a deal to unite the top professional golf tours can be formalized before then, which could potentially negate Rahm and Hatton’s case against the organization. The legal process involving the appeals will be dictated by the lawyers involved, and ongoing discussions about the future of the tours may impact the appeal process.
