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Reigning US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau said Friday the decision to allow LIV Golf players to join the US Ryder Cup team and the PGA Championship would spark a return to more events for talents of the upstart series.
The PGA of America announced its decision Thursday, saying it wanted to secure top American talent for the Ryder Cup team and top talent for the PGA.
Since Saudi-backed LIV Golf launched in 2022 and attracted several top PGA Tour stars, the U.S. Tour has banned LIV players from its events, making it difficult for LIV players to win tournaments. points in the world rankings and qualify for the majors.
The major tournaments have been the meeting place for stars from both circuits, with events sometimes issuing special invitations to ensure their fields include the game’s best.
The PGA of America’s decision guarantees LIV’s eligibility for major spots in the PGA Championship and U.S. Ryder Cup teams. LIV’s Brooks Koepka played for the Americans last year after winning the PGA Championship.
“To see that they have made this statement is a great assurance that we as players will eventually have a pathway, whether it’s byes or otherwise, to play the Ryder Cup and other tournaments as as such,” DeChambeau said Friday at LIV Golf. Tag Team Championship in Dallas.
DeChambeau is captain of the Crushers, the defending champions from top-seeded LIV.
DeChambeau, the 2020 and 2024 US Open champion, expects more opportunities to arise for LIV golfers.
“I think this is just the beginning,” he said. “I think this is the start of reopening the ecosystem to a place where players can play on many circuits and support different charities and tournaments in different countries and regions.
“I think it’s a great first step.”
Talks continue between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) over a merger deal, but hurdles remain over how to reinstate LIV players and impose sanctions to PGA defectors.
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