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PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh surprisingly explains to Todd Lewis that the Ryder Cup could be an option for Brooks Koepka.
The discussion of Brooks Koepka and other eligible LIV Tour Golfers’ ability to make the Ryder Cup team has been the hottest topic in golf since he won his third Wanamaker Trophy on Sunday. Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis asked PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh about the situation, and he gave some surprising insight.
“I still don’t believe division is good for the game or good for the fans…I don’t think they(LIV) have a superior product and I don’t think from an economical model from costs versus revenues I don’t think they have a better model,” Waugh said.
Seth Waugh, CEO @PGA told me this today, “I still don’t believe division is good for the game or good for the fans…I don’t think they(LIV) have a superior product and I don’t think from an economical model from costs versus revenues I don’t think they have a better model.”
— Todd Lewis (@ToddLewisGC) May 24, 2023
He would go on to say that he would be okay with LIV golfers making the team.
“If he plays his way on the team we will welcome him.”
Waugh and the PGA of America were the last golf entity to allow LIV golfers to participate in their major championship. However, even though Waugh doesn’t think LIV has a superior product, per Todd Lewis, that doesn’t mean their players cannot participate on the Ryder Cup team.
It is a bit of a departure for the PGA of America CEO, who had been very vocal in the past stating his opposing views to the Saudi-back tour.
The PGA of America is in charge of the Ryder Cup, not the PGA Tour. Allowing the LIV players will ultimately be up to them. Waugh said they would welcome him if Koepka played his way onto the team.
Koepka can get Ryder Cup points by participating in the majors and at least making the cut. The better he does in those events, the more points he will acquire. By winning the PGA Championship, he got two points per $1,000 that he made, and for his T2 at the Masters, he received 1.5 points per $1000 because he made the cut.
After two majors, Koepka jumped 20 spots up the Ryder Cup rankings to No. 2 behind World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. He has 8,936.357 points, which is 1,622.147 more than Max Homa, who is in third place.
As it sits right now, the six that would automatically qualify for the Ryder Cup team would be Scheffer, Koepka, Homa, Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay and Cameron Young. However, there could be a lot of movement between now and the deadline.
