Golf-Ryder Cup captains would have no issue bringing LIV Golf players to Bethpage

(Reuters) – Ryder Cup captains Keegan Bradley and Luke Donald said on Tuesday they will not shy away from including LIV Golf players on their respective teams for next year’s biennial showdown between the United States and Europe.

Speaking during a Ryder Cup “Year to Go” news conference in New York, both Bradley and Englishman Donald were asked about their plans regarding players from the Saudi-backed circuit.

“If you fulfill the regulations and the rules that the DP World Tour set, then you’re eligible,” said Donald. “There’s a bunch of LIV guys that play on LIV that they are eligible now; so I can pick them at will.”

Bradley was more direct in his response.

“For us, I’m going to take the 12 best players. So if we feel like there’s a few guys there, one guy, two guys, whatever it is, then we’re going to do that,” said Bradley.

“But we’re too far out to figure out how this is all going to play out. But we’re definitely going to take the 12 best players however that shakes out.”

Five-times major winner Brooks Koepka was the only LIV Golf player to compete at the 2023 Ryder Cup where he was one of six captain’s picks for the U.S. team. Koepka was eligible due to a grace period that allowed him to remain a PGA of America member through 2024.

The PGA of America has since said LIV players are eligible to compete for U.S. Ryder Cup teams going forward. LIV Golf players are technically eligible for the European team as long as they do not surrender their DP World Tour membership.

Donald said he recently talked with LIV Golf’s Sergio Garcia, Europe’s all-time leading points scorer, and that the Spaniard is “very interested” in re-joining the DP World Tour.

“First of all, obviously he resigned his membership a couple of years ago but we’ve had a few chats,” Donald said of Garcia.

“He’s considering re-joining (the DP World Tour). He’d have to follow all the rules and regulations like everyone else and if he does that then, again, he will be eligible to partake in the Ryder Cup.”

Bradley, who earned the clinching point for the U.S. at last month’s Presidents Cup, said it was too soon to discuss whether he would serve as a playing-captain at Bethpage Black.

“It’s always a goal of mine to play on the Ryder Cup teams. It’s so far off now that it’s really — I’m not going to worry about it,” said Bradley.

“Once we get closer to the tournament and I’m up there on the points list, then we’ll start to think about it. But I’m focused now on being the captain of the team and that’s it.”

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Toby Davis)