The PGA of America announced that LIV Golf players will be eligible to play in the Ryder Cup and the PGA Championship. The PGA said in a statement that “all LIV Golf players are eligible for the PGA Championship and any American player who qualifies for the Ryder Cup on points or is added to the U.S. team as a captain’s pick is eligible to compete.”
However, the PGA’s statement did not specify how players might become eligible for the PGA Championship, as there are no direct avenues via the LIV Golf League. The statement read: “To ensure the PGA Championship will continue to deliver the strongest field in golf and that the U.S. Ryder Cup team will continue to have access to the best American players, the PGA of America board has determined that LIV Golf players will be eligible for both,” the PGA said in a statement. “Going forward, all LIV Golf players are eligible for the PGA Championship and any American player who qualifies for the Ryder Cup on points or is added to the U.S. team as a captain’s pick is eligible to compete. This is consistent with LIV Golf players competing in the PGA Championship the past two years. Brooks Koepka was a member of the U.S. Ryder Cup team last year.”
Due to his victory at the 2023 PGA Championship (in part), Brooks Koepka played on last year’s Ryder Cup team as a member of LIV; similarly, LIV players have competed at the PGA Championship the last few seasons, primarily because of their existing eligibility from wins they accrued prior to joining LIV Golf.
The PGA of America is a distinct organization from the PGA Tour, which is involved in ongoing discussions about the future of golf with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, LIV Golf’s financial backer.
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