U.S. Ryder Cup skipper Zach Johnson drops telling update about LIV Golf pros!

U.S. Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson says 'no decision' has been made about LIV Golf players.

20 Apr 2023

U.S. Ryder Cup skipper Zach Johnson drops telling update about LIV Golf pros! — U.S. Ryder Cup skipper Zach Johnson drops telling update about LIV Golf…

U.S. Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson has given fresh hope to American LIV Golf players, insisting that 'no decisions' have been made over their participation for the dust-up in Italy.

Johnson is playing the Zurich Classic of New Orleans this week and is partnering Steve Stricker, who has poached Tiger Woods' caddie Joe LaCava after the big cat underwent yet more surgery on his gammy right ankle.

But understandably, 12-time PGA Tour winner Johnson was asked about the current landscape in men's professional golf given there have been a few hot topics to debate recently.

Those hot topics? Well, the DP World Tour won their arbitration case and it was deemed they were right to impose sanctions on those LIV players who competed in the inaugural 'rebel' league event without permission last June.

The decision will undoubtedly have an impact on the European side that will look to avenge their humiliating defeat at Whistling Straits.

DP World Tour chief executive Keith Pelley insisted the decision remains with Luke Donald over whether he wants to pick LIV players.

But Pelley also stated it will 'be more difficult' for those players to qualify for the team given there could be more sanctions imposed in the future.

Johnson told the media:

"No decisions have been made. There's still a lot of time left in that regard, and so many fluid factors involved. As far as personally making decisions, no.

"I will add that, when it comes to that notion, there's numerous factors, like I mentioned, but I am going to rely heavily on -- actually, looking back at my previous Cups that I've been a vice captain, I'm going to rely heavily on the guys that actually make the team because it's their team.

"So I don't know who those six are going to be, obviously, but their ownership and their opinions will weigh heavily into what I, what we, decide to do."

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He added:

"So not to get overly in the weeds of all this, but in order to garner Ryder Cup points or be eligible for PGA of America Ryder Cup points and PGA Championship points, you have to be a member of PGA of America.

"Those individuals that have left the PGA Tour; to my knowledge, are still members of PGA of America. There's a grace period involved there. I don't know the specifics."

LIV players can still earn U.S. Ryder Cup points through their performances in major championships.

Brooks Koepka is currently the highest ranked LIV player in the standings after he tied for second at the 87th Masters.

The other highest ranked LIV players at the time of writing are Phil Mickelson (22), Dustin Johnson (30) and Patrick Reed (34).

Qualifying for the Ryder Cup ends after the second leg of the FedExCup playoffs at the BMW Championship.

As of 20 April, the current qualifiers for the U.S. side boasts a considerable amount of strength in depth.

Scottie Scheffler, Max Homa, Cameron Young, Sam Burns, Patrick Cantlay and Jordan Spieth are the players who are currently the top six automatic qualifiers.

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