US Ryder Cup captain sends clear message to LIV golfers

“I think it would be premature and almost irresponsible to even go into that."
VIRGINIA WATER, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 18: A staged photograph of The Ryder Cup trophy as the five-man Ryder Cup panel meet to discuss the 2016 Ryder Cup Europe Captaincy at Wentworth on February 18, 2015 in Virginia Water, England. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

With the Ryder Cup on the horizon, there still haven’t been members of the team officially announced yet. A lot of the world’s greatest golfers are now with LIV Golf, which has made picking a new team on either side complicated.

US Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson made himself perfectly clear on where he stands as of now.

“I think it would be premature and almost irresponsible to even go into that,” Johnson said at his pre-PGA Championship press conference. “It’s not on my radar right now.”

Johnson was speaking on whether Brooks Koepka and other LIV Golfers will be allowed on the team

“I’m gonna be fully transparent. It’s hard because I’m not able to witness what they’re doing and see their form, with the exception of four events a year. What Brooks has done this year, well no one’s surprised. I’m just glad he’s healthy.”

Johnson has admitted there hasn’t been much communication with LIV golfers about joining the team.

“There hasn’t been much communication,” he said.

LIV golfer Bryson DeChambeau confirms that after speaking to Johnson at the PGA Championship, there has been no communication between the two since then.

“It is true. I talked to him at the PGA (Championship) a little bit. He said, ‘Good luck, play well man. Rooting for you.’ After that, nothing, he said.

“But I don’t expect anything. I’ll be rooting them on if I’m not there. And if I do so happen to get the opportunity to play, I’m there for Team USA and I’m going to give it my full-force effort,” DeChambleau added. “Problem is, I understand the position that they don’t see us playing enough, so it’s kind of difficult to make a decision, I get that. But at the end of the day, it is what it is and I’ll be rooting for Team USA no matter what.’

DeChambleu clearly wants to be a part of the US Ryder Cup team, but the rift between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf has made it almost impossible now for that to happen for either the US or European team.

{SBNation}

{Golf Week.com}

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About Stacey Mickles

Stacey is a 1995 graduate of the University of Alabama who has previously worked for other publications such as Sportskeeda and Saturday Down South.