The PGA of America announced on Thursday that players from LIV Golf are now eligible to compete in the PGA Championship and be part of the U.S. Ryder Cup team.
“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 U.S. team as a captain’s pick is eligible to compete,” stated the organization.
This decision grants all LIV players membership in the PGA of America, a requirement for participation on the U.S. Ryder Cup team and in the PGA Championship. Players who transitioned from the PGA TOUR to LIV Golf were anticipated to lose their memberships by the end of 2024.
Kerry Haigh, the PGA of America’s chief championships officer and interim CEO, informed GolfChannel’s Rex Hoggard, “We’ve added the LIV tour to the list of tours that are eligible towards A-3 membership, which all (PGA) TOUR members are eligible for. The LIV players had previously been (PGA of America) members, but had we not done this, they would have had to go through more requirements which no other tour members are asked to do.”
However, LIV players will not earn Ryder Cup points based on their finishes in LIV Golf events.
In 2023, Brooks Koepka was the sole LIV Golf player to make the U.S. Ryder Cup team, securing a spot as a captain’s pick.
This decision opens the door for players like Bryson DeChambeau—who finished as the runner-up in the 2024 PGA Championship—to continue competing in the tournament and securing spots on the U.S. Ryder Cup team at Bethpage Black in 2025. DeChambeau is currently ranked third on the U.S. points list.
“All these players would have still been eligible in the short term, but they would have had to do additional requirements (to maintain membership),” Haigh added. “LIV players have always been eligible, and this cleanup of the bylaws just makes it more consistent with the other tours and will allow the best players in the world to play the PGA Championship and represent the U.S. team at the Ryder Cup, which has always been the case.”
The PGA of America’s announcement does not impact the European Ryder Cup team, which is governed by the DP World Tour. For instance, Jon Rahm plans to participate in three more DP World Tour events before the year’s end to maintain his eligibility for the Ryder Cup. The Spanish golfer has declined to pay fines imposed by the DP World Tour for his involvement with LIV.
