Greg Norman Jr has reacted to the PGA allowing LIV golfers to compete at the Ryder Cup. The Saudi Circuit players have struggled to qualify for Major events as they do not receive ranking points and are also banned from competing in PGA Tour events. However, last year, Brooks Koepka became a captain’s pick for the Ryder Cup in Rome, and he was the only LIV golfer to compete in the prestigious tournament.
The next edition of the team event will take place in 2025 in New York, and recently, the PGA of America, the organizing committee for the Ryder Cup and the PGA Championship (one of the four men's Majors) announced that moving forward, all Saudi Circuit players are eligible for the PGA Championship. Additionally, any American player who meets the qualification criteria for the Ryder Cup will be able to compete in the team event.
LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman's son reacted to the announcement by sharing a screenshot of the PGA of America's statement on his X account with just one word. He wrote:
"Progress!"
With this announcement, Bryson DeChambeau, who won the 2024 U.S. Open, might automatically qualify for the Ryder Cup. He currently sits at No. 3 in the US Team rankings for the 2025 Ryder Cup. The top six players qualify for the event, while the remaining six are captain's picks. If DeChambeau can maintain his ranking, he could secure a spot on the US Ryder Cup team for 2025.
Xander Schauffele is currently leading the rankings with 9,580.956 points, thanks to his two Major victories in 2024. Meanwhile, Scottie Scheffler is in second place. The other three players in the top six for Team USA are Collin Morikawa, Brian Harman, and Billy Horschel as of now.
Are LIV golfers eligible to compete for Team Europe at the Ryder Cup?
LIV golfers are eligible to compete at the Ryder Cup to play for Team Europe, but they need to fulfill two conditions. First, the player must be from Europe, and second, they should hold DP World Tour membership.
To maintain membership, a player must compete in four European Tour events in a season. However, the circuit imposed fines on LIV golfers, and they must clear these fines before joining the field in DP World Tour events.
The PGA of America has announced eligibility for the PGA Championship for all LIV golfers, while they have specifically mentioned American players for the Ryder Cup.
"Going forward, all LIV Golf players are eligible for the PGA Championship and any American player who qualifies for the Ryder Cup on points or is added to the US team as a captain’s pick is eligible to compete," reads the PGA of America's statement.
A player must fulfill the above-mentioned criteria to qualify for the European Ryder Cup team.
Jon Rahm, who was a key player in helping the European team win the 2023 Ryder Cup, is struggling to meet the qualification due to outstanding fines. The Spaniard needs to compete in three DP World Tour events before the end of this season in order to retain his membership.