United States Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson said Wednesday that he is hoping to pull players from majors and PGA Tour events and that those who are on the LIV Golf circuit are “not on my radar.”
“It’s not even a discussion item,” Johnson said of how much thought he’s given to the possibility of adding LIV talent to the 12-man roster. “It would be premature and almost irresponsible to even go into that. It’s not on my radar right now.”
But Johnson hasn’t completely given LIV the cold shoulder just yet, and two of the Saudi-backed upstart tour’s biggest names — Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson — have already expressed interest in playing at September’s Ryder Cup in Rome.
“You’re talking about a number of guys that are my friends,” Zach Johnson said. “I would fully embrace the opportunity to speak with them.
“I’m an open book. They can call me. They have my number. I’m not going to sit here and say I’m shutting that down.”
Koepka has won four majors while Dustin Johnson has won two, and both are eager to land a spot on Zach Johnson’s squad after playing on the 2021 team.
“Yes, I would definitely like to play in the Ryder Cup,” Dustin Johnson said. “It’s one of my favorite events.
“I’ve known Zach for a long time, so I’m sure he’s keeping an eye on things. … Play well in the next three majors and just play some good, solid, consistent golf from here on out the rest of the year who knows what will happen.”
All three players are in this week’s field at the PGA Championship in Pittsford, N.Y., and Koepka is hoping his performance leaves a lasting impression on Zach Johnson.
“It would be awesome to represent the United States. Anytime we do it, it’s always fun,” Koepka said. “But it’s not up to me. It’s up to Zach and what goes on.
“It’s tough to be in Zach’s mind or where he is at, but I would love to make it hard on him. I think that would be cool. The only thing I can do is go play good. If I play good, everything takes care of itself.”
The United States has won two of the last three Ryder Cups after Europe claimed three in a row (2010, 2012, 2014).
–Field Level Media