Will LIV Golf's Sergio Garcia be allowed to play in the Ryder Cup? Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Network

How will PGA Tour's merger with LIV Golf affect the Ryder Cup?

By Chelena Goldman | Last updated 6/7/23

Saying there is "a lot of movement" in the professional golf world right now is quite an understatement.

After roughly a year-and-a-half of the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour facing off against LIV Golf, it looks like all three entities are going to join forces and be governed by the same company. The news naturally poses a lot of questions regarding events that all three tournaments compete in together — and that includes the Ryder Cup.

Prior to news of the merger, it was announced and reiterated that players who defected to LIV Golf would not be eligible to compete in the biennial match-play competition this upcoming September. So it's fair to ask: Does this big merger in professional golf open the door for LIV Golf defectors to compete in the Ryder Cup after all?

Statement from Kieth Pelley and the European Tour to LIV Golf players today. Ryder Cup eligibility included in the wording: pic.twitter.com/dcJ2Mest3a
— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) June 7, 2023

As far as the DP World Tour goes, CEO Keith Pelley has the door shut with regard to LIV competitors playing for Team Europe.

"There's only two criteria to being a Ryder Cup member or player," Pelley said, via Golf Digest. "You have to be European, and you have to be a member of the DP World Tour. And that's the only [criterion]. After that, you can qualify or [European captain] Luke [Donald] can select you."

It's understandable that Pelley would still be closed off to LIV players being allowed on the European team. The DP World Tour placed hefty fines on members who played in LIV Golf events without permission, and some of those fines have yet to be paid. If that drama doesn't get cleared up, it's hard to see the European team welcoming players like Sergio Garcia with open arms.

Things aren't quite as dramatic with regard to Team USA, but they are still quite messy. LIV Golf defectors such as PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka are still eligible for the Ryder Cup team since they have been granted PGA of America memberships through 2024. However, since LIV Golf doesn't qualify for Ryder Cup points, they can only make the team by being selected or winning a major event. Would team captain Zach Johnson keep Koepka off the team because he plays for LIV? The answer isn't clear just yet.

There is so much changing in the professional golf world right now, so it's difficult to say just yet how much of an impact the proposed merger will have on the 2023 Ryder Cup. It's certainly worth keeping an eye on, because this week has shown that things can change quickly.

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