Ryder Cup captain grilled about LIV Golf at PGA Championship

US captain Zach Johnson refused to be drawn on the prospect of LIV golfers making his Ryder Cup team in Rome.

American LIV players are eligible for the biennial battle against Europe this September, but Johnson clearly has no interest in talk of those on the Saudi-backed circuit featuring for Team USA.

The former Masters and Open champion claimed before the PGA Championship that the selection of LIV players like Brooks Koepka or Dustin Johnson was “not even a discussion item.”

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And he reiterated his stance when quizzed once more after finishing his tournament at Oak Hill on 10-over on Sunday afternoon.

“I think it’s too premature, frankly irresponsible, to even have any sort of opinion about that,” Johnson said. “I think given where we are at right now, there’s a lot of points out there, No 1.

“No 2, you have a bunch of elevated events. Shoot, No 3, if you go back on history, there’s names right now that probably on both tours that we’re not even mentioning that could have a chance given what’s in front of us.

“I haven’t even begun to discuss picks with anybody that I trust in my circle, specifically the vice-captains. I feel like it’s irrelevant to even discuss.”

Johnson has also ruled out attending any LIV events before making his six captain’s picks after the PGA Tour’s season-ending Tour Championship in late August.

“You’re expecting me to go to LIV events and spectate,” he added.

“I think the luxury of me being captain is that I’m still relevant and prevalent out on the PGA Tour and that’s where my status holds, so for me to abandon that for a week, where the bulk of my players are going to come from, would be irresponsible on my behalf and extremely inappropriate.”

Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.