A small yet significant group of players from LIV Golf have qualified for the Ryder Cup since the Saudi-funded league’s inception.
While Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia, and Graeme McDowell cast their Team Europe futures into doubt by leaving the established tours, not to mention Henrik Stenson who was removed as captain of the 2023 Ryder Cup side for his LIV switch, some stars have squeezed their way in.
To qualify for the Ryder Cup, you need to finish in the top six of the points list in America and Europe. If not, you need a captain’s pick. However, since LIV events don’t have world ranking points, the majors are the primary avenues for earning points.
Brooks Koepka won the PGA Championship in 2023, which earned not quite enough points to automatically qualify, but enough merit to be chosen as a pick by US captain Zach Johnson. He was the only LIV player to participate in Rome two years ago.
So, are LIV Golfers playing in the Ryder Cup in 2025?
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Are LIV Golfers playing in the Ryder Cup?
Bryson DeChambeau
Some American fans would argue Bryson DeChambeau should’ve been chosen to play in 2023. This time, he played his way into an automatic spot, having played in only four events that were eligible for Ryder Cup points.
He came tied for fifth at the Masters, tied for second at the PGA Championship and tied for 10th at The Open Championship. Given the weight of points distributed at the majors, these performances meant DeChambeau came sixth in the US Ryder Cup rankings and claimed the last automatic spot.
DeChambeau also had a solid year in the LIV Golf League. He won in Korea and came third overall in the end-of-season standings. DeChambeau is the most exciting golfer on the planet to many and one of the best, with Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler probably the only other players able to provide a response in that debate.
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Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton
Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton had interesting Ryder Cup routes, so we’ll deal with these cases at the same time. As they moved to LIV for the start of the 2024 season, they incurred fines and suspensions for every subsequent event they played in that conflicted with DP World Tour events – because they are DP World Tour members.
This placed their Ryder Cup futures in jeopardy. If you don’t play in at least four DP World Tour events in a season, you lose your card. If you aren’t a member of the DP World Tour, you can’t play in the Ryder Cup.
Until the start of August 2024, Rahm hadn’t played in a DP World Tour event, which left fans scratching their heads as to how and why one of Europe’s best players was going to be cast aside from the Ryder Cup.
Hatton had also only played in one DP World Tour event by the time last September rolled around, so he was in the same boat as Rahm.
But a loophole cropped up. Rahm and Hatton appealed their fines and, while the appeal process was active, they were able to play in four DP World Tour events, which is the required quota to keep their membership on the Old World Circuit. The appeal process isn’t due to end until after the 2025 Ryder Cup.
At one stage, the potential absence of Rahm and Hatton at the Ryder Cup painted a bleak picture for Europe. Across the previous two Ryder Cups, they have earned 2.5 points in three matches when paired together, and their form will be a crucial part of Europe’s pursuit of winning away from home this year for the first time since 2012.
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What do you make of the LIV Golfers-Ryder Cup situation? Do you think they should be allowed to play? Tell us on X!
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