5 LIV Golf stars left out of USA Ryder Cup team as Brooks Koepka exception made
United States Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson has chosen to include just one LIV Golf player in his 12-man team, with five-time major champion Brooks Koepka given the nod.
After winning the PGA Championship in May, Koepka found himself second in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings, which would have earned him an automatic spot. Three months later though the American slipped out the top six following the final week of qualifying, ensuring he required a captain's pick to make it Rome.
And this came on Tuesday, after Johnson confirmed his 12-man lineup by releasing his six picks. Alongside Koepka; Jordan Spieth, Collin Morikawa, Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas and Sam Burns were all called up by the American skipper. It proved to be a monumental moment for LIV Golf, with Koepka's call-up ensuring they will be represented on the Ryder Cup stage for the first time after months of doubt.
The feeling will be bitter sweet however, with Koepka their only man to make the U.S. team despite a number staking their claim. From an American Ryder Cup mainstay, to one of the Saudi-backed league's most in-form players, here are five LIV stars who were snubbed by skipper Johnson...
1. Dustin Johnson
On the back of the announcement, one man whom Johnson opted to leave out was his namesake Dustin. Thirty-nine-year-old Dustin has become a staple of the Ryder Cup throughout his career, having played in five of the last six battles against the Europeans. His latest came last time out in 2021, where Johnson won all five of his matches, as the Americans recorded a thumping 19-9 victory at Whistling Straits.
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Two years on though, the two-time major champion finds himself out of the U.S. setup on the back of his LIV move. Despite excelling in his maiden year with the breakaway circuit by becoming both the individual and team champion, he has failed to repeat these heroics in 2023 and this has clearly been noted by the American captain.
Dustin Johnson will miss the Ryder Cup (AP)2. Bryson DeChambeau
Another man who played an integral role in securing the Americans the Ryder Cup in 2021 was Bryson DeChambeau. Like Dustin Johnson though, he too has been left out of the team this time around. DeChambeau staked a claim last month, when he shot an historic round of 58 on the way to winning his first LIV title at Greenbrier. His heroics were too little too, late though, with his sub-60 round and victory clearly not enough to tempt captain Zach Johnson into taking him to Marco Simone.
3. Patrick Reed
A third star with Ryder Cup experience who will not be heading to Italy later this month is Patrick Reed. Often the pantomime villain, Reed seems to thrive on the Ryder Cup stage, but he will not get the chance to get under the Europeans' skin this time around. Despite enjoying a pretty solid year on the LIV setup and securing a tied-fourth finish at the Masters, it was not enough to catch the attention of his captain.
Patrick Reed has played at three Ryder Cups4. Talor Gooch
RangeGoats star Talor Gooch has been a name in the Ryder Cup conversation for some time, having enjoyed plenty of LIV Golf success in 2023. Gooch proved to be the man to catch for most of the season on the breakaway circuit, before being over taken in the standings by Cam Smith earlier this month. The American star has an impressive three LIV wins to his name so far this year, which he hoped would be enough to earn him a spot on the Ryder Cup team for the very first time. An underwhelming year in golf's four majors may well have cost him though, as Gooch's wait to represent his nation on the big stage goes on.
5. Phil Mickelson
Nobody has represented the United States at a Ryder Cup more than Phil Mickelson, but it appears his affiliation with the U.S. setup is over. Granted, nobody was expecting Mickelson to make the 12-man playing team this year, including Mickelson himself, with the six-time major winner. much closer to the end of his career than the start. The 53-year-old however seems to be perfect vice-captain - and future captain - material, as he showed in 2021. But, a year-and-a-half of controversy amid his LIV Golf move looks to have brought a sad ending to his historic relationship with the matchplay event.
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