“I’ll use all the resources I have” – When Zach Johnson dropped a major hint about picking LIV golfers on his Ryder Cup team

US Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson announced his picks on Tuesday, August 29, with a few surprises given their current form. One of the six names was Brooks Koepka, who is no longer a PGA Tour player.

While Koepka's name might have surprised some fans, Johnson hinted a long time ago that he would pick the best six players, regardless of whether they were on the Tour or the rival LIV Golf Tour.

Last October, during the 'Year to Go event' for the upcoming Rome event, Johnson hinted at including professionals from the Saudi-backed circuit in his team. When asked about the LIV golfer, he didn't provide a clear answer but maintained that the best players would be selected.

He said:

"I'm not into comparisons, all I know is that I'm going to try to form the best 12 guys for Marco Simone. Um, I'll have some liberties, obviously, with six picks, much like Luke, and we'll be strategic in those.

"It's no secret that I'm gonna have those six guys that do qualify take some ownership in this team as well. I mean, it's their team and, um, I'll utilize all the resources I have to formulate a team of 12 for '23."

Last year, many prominent names on the PGA Tour deferred to the Saudi-backed circuit. As a result, they faced immediate suspension from Tour events, and there were doubts about their participation in majors and the Ryder Cup.

However, all four majors allowed LIV Golf players, and by the month of June, a historic merger was announced between the PGA Tour and the PIF. With Brooks Koepka's inclusion in the upcoming biennial event, all the speculation has now come to an end.

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When will the European Ryder Cup squad be announced?

The European Team for the 2023 Ryder Cup will be finalized on Monday, September 3, when Luke Donald will pick the six players. As far as automatic selection is concerned, four out of six players are finalized.

Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm have qualified via the European Points List, while Viktor Hovland and Tyrell Hatton have recently made it via the World Points List. The remaining two spots will be decided on Sunday, September 2, after the conclusion of the Omega European Masters.

Here are the current standings for the European squad for the 2023 Ryder Cup:

European Point List

1. Rory McIlroy: 4,033.5
2. Jon Rahm: 3,417.23
3. Robert MacIntyre: 1,828.99
4. Yannik Paul: 1,702.9
5. Adrian Meronk: 1,620.59
6. Victor Perez: 1,571.03
7. Tommy Fleetwood: 1,534.37
8. Rasmus Hojgaard: 1,531.86
9. Adrian Otaegui: 1,435.51
10. Shane Lowry: 1,290.23

World Points List

1. Rory McIlroy: 404.8 (via EPL)
2. Jon Rahm: 395.35 (via EPL)
3. Viktor Hovland: 356.97
4. Tyrrell Hatton: 205.57
5. Tommy Fleetwood: 186.92
6. Matt Fitzpatrick: 183.1
7. Sepp Straka: 152.4
8. Shane Lowry: 105.21
9. Justin Rose: 100.32
10. Robert MacIntyre: 96.43

The 2023 Ryder Cup is scheduled to be played from September 29 to October 1 at the Marco Simone Golf Club in Rome. This will be the first time in Ryder Cup history that Italy will host the event.