Geoff Ogilvy admits ‘shame’ over LIV Golf player bans – but issues warning

International captain Geoff Ogilvy has admitted it is a “shame” that LIV Golf players cannot compete at the Presidents Cup – but warned their return could also “upset the apple cart” at Medinah.

The PGA Tour-run contest remains off-limits to LIV players, meaning some of the biggest names in the International game are watching from the sidelines this week, including Bryson DeChambeau on the American side.

Joaquin Niemann, Cameron Smith, Louis Oosthuizen and Lucas Herbert are among the notables unavailable to Ogilvy, leaving the International captain without a host of players who could have transformed his options.

• Why is Bryson DeChambeau banned from competing in the Presidents Cup?

Former World No.1 Jason Day is also absent for the Internationals, but the PGA Tour star was not picked by his compatriot due to a recurring back injury. 

Niemann is a particularly notable absentee, such has been his form on LIV Golf the past couple of seasons. 

The Chilean is LIV Golf's record winner with nine individual victories.

Herbert is another big loss for the Internationals, especially having narrowly missed out on his first major title at The Open in July before going on to win his second career LIV title in England a week later. 

Yet Ogilvy admits there is another side to the LIV argument.

While Ogilvy would like to have the option of selecting those players, he believes throwing LIV stars into an established International team could disrupt the chemistry his players have developed throughout the season.

“It would be nice to have access to pick from them,” Ogilvy told Front Office Sports.

“But also not really because this group of players have been together, they play on the same tour — the PGA Tour — they have dinner, they play a lot of practice rounds, and it could upset the apple cart a little bit, too.”

Ogilvy's comments carry extra weight because this is not the first time he has tried to get LIV players into his Presidents Cup plans.

The Australian revealed he first asked about the possibility of selecting LIV golfers when he took over as International captain in 2024.

“Yeah I asked it a few times,” Ogilvy told reporters earlier this month.

“I asked it two years ago when this job started – ‘is there going to be any chance?’ ‘Well, it’s not going to be no chance but we have to see it how it unfolds’.

“I guess it just hasn’t unfolded to the point where they’re ready to, sort of, let that happen.”

Team chemistry could prove vital as Ogilvy attempts to pull off what would be a major upset at Medinah.

The United States have dominated the Presidents Cup, winning every edition since the Internationals' famous triumph in 1998 apart from the 2003 tie.

The Americans also have a sizeable advantage on paper this week, with the top eight players in the world rankings among the 24 competitors all representing the USA.

Ogilvy's side therefore faces an enormous task without its LIV contingent.

The 2006 U.S. Open champion accepts the situation is frustrating, but pointed out that players knew the consequences when they chose to join the breakaway league.

“It’s a shame,” Ogilvy said. “But everyone knew what they were signing up for.”

There is also no guarantee the current LIV Golf situation will remain the same for the next Presidents Cup.

LIV's original funding model under the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) has come to an end, while the league is now attempting to establish a new structure and secure fresh investment with BC Partners. 

Its long-term future remains uncertain, especially with less events and reduced prize purses, as does the status of its players in relation to the PGA Tour.

As it stands, all LIV players are banned from competing in PGA Tour events, which is why they remain on the outside looking in at this week's Presidents Cup. 

Ogilvy is hopeful the divide can eventually be resolved.

“Whatever the future looks like, hopefully it’s all lined up again and we get back to what it was like before, and we can have access to all the players,” he said.

For now, however, Ogilvy has to make do without them.

And while the International captain knows the likes of Niemann, Smith, Oosthuizen and Herbert could have given his team a significant boost, he also believes there is something to be said for the group that has already been forged on the PGA Tour.

The Internationals need 15.5 points from the 30 available at Medinah to finally end America's dominance.

LIV Golf's absence may have made that challenge even tougher – but Ogilvy isn't convinced simply adding its stars would automatically make everything better.