Brooks Koepka on why Dustin Johnson did not get picked in the Ryder Cup team

LIV Golf's Brooks Koepka reveals why Dustin Johnson was snubbed a place in the Ryder Cup team, and who one of his playing partners could be at Marco Simone.

Andy Roberts

21 Sep 2023

Brooks Koepka on why Dustin Johnson did not get picked in the Ryder Cup team

Brooks Koepka believes fellow LIV Golf player Dustin Johnson did not receive one of Zach Johnson's six picks in the United States Ryder Cup team because he "didn't play well in the majors".

Koepka was the only LIV Golf player to receive a captain's pick at the end of August.

The others went to Rickie Fowler, Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Sam Burns.

There was therefore no place in the team for Dustin Johnson, who entered the record books last time out in the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits when going 5-0-0.

Johnson last week said his move to LIV Golf ultimately cost him a place in the team, yet he still believes he did enough to earn his place.

Koepka, who won his third US PGA Championship earlier this season, explains he got the case for picking Johnson in the team but at the same time considers he did not have his best season - by his own high standards - with just one LIV Golf victory and a T10 at the US Open being the standouts.

Johnson finished T48 at The Masters, T55 at the US PGA and he missed the cut at The Open.

Five-time major champion Koepka thinks those three particular results cost him his place in a sixth US Ryder Cup team.

Koepka told Sports Illustrated:

"I get the case for DJ. He played great the last time, played great last year. Hasn’t really played that great this year... or hasn’t played to DJ’s standard. That’s a better way to put that. And he didn’t play well in the majors. So I can see why he didn’t get a pick. But if they had picked him, it’s DJ and I could see that one as well."

Koepka and Johnson played together in the Saturday Foursomes at the 2018 Ryder Cup but were defeated 2&1 by Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose.

They allegedly came to blows that week.

But Koepka addressed that earlier this season.

They did not play together at the 2021 Ryder Cup with Koepka out twice with Daniel Berger and once with Jordan Spieth.

Koepka won and lost with Berger, and lost with Spieth, before going on to win his singles match against Bernd Wiesberger.

So who might Koepka play with this time around at Marco Simone in Rome?

Wyndham Clark has to be a frontrunner.

"I can play with anybody, and I will play with anybody. But I've been close with Wyndham for years even before I came over (to LIV Golf). I used to play most of my practice rounds with him. It was either DJ or him it felt like.

"We talked through the whole process (of the Ryder Cup). It’s been fun to hear his thoughts, being a rookie. To see him play so well was cool. I must have texted him right after he finished in L.A. (at the U.S. Open). He’s a good kid and someone I really like."

GolfMagic recently took a look at some of the potential pairings we might see at the 2023 Ryder Cup.

How many points will Koepka take at the Ryder Cup? Will USA retain the trophy and win for the first time on European soil since 1993? Share your thoughts and comments over on the GolfMagic social media channels.

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