Brooks Koepka will represent Team USA in this year’s Ryder Cup (photo by LIV Golf)
Brooks Koepka was announced as one of six players selected to the 2023 United States Ryder Cup team by captain Zach Johnson. This will be the fourth Ryder Cup appearance for Koepka, who holds a 6-5-1 overall record in three Ryder Cup competitions (2016, 2018, 2021), including two victories for Team USA.
“I’m honoured to represent my country again as a part of this year’s Ryder Cup team, and excited to defend the cup with my teammates in Rome. Let’s go USA!” said Koepka.
“Congratulations to Brooks Koepka on a well-deserved honour representing Team USA,” said Greg Norman, LIV Golf CEO and Commissioner. “His résumé speaks for itself, and his status among the sport’s fiercest competitors is unquestioned. Brooks’ will to win shines brightest on golf’s biggest stages and it will be exciting to watch him compete in Rome.”
It has been a historic season for the Smash GC captain, highlighted by his third PGA Championship title in May. The 33-year-old became the seventh male golfer since 1950 to win five majors before the age of 34. The previous six are in the World Golf Hall of Fame – Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Tom Watson, Seve Ballesteros, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods. He is also the first player born after 1975 to win five majors and the third player to win three or more PGA Championships in the stroke play era. This year, Koepka also became the first two-time individual champion with LIV Golf, where he currently sits tied for fourth place in the individual standings.
U.S. Team captain’s selections announced also include Sam Burns, Rickie Fowler, Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas. The six players will join the previously announced qualifiers Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark, Patrick Cantlay, Brian Harman, Max Homa and Xander Schauffele at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome from September 25 – October 1. This is the first time the biennial team competition between the U.S. and Europe will be hosted in Italy.
The European Team’s six automatic qualifiers will be finalised on September 3, with European Team Captain Luke Donald to make six captain’s picks shortly thereafter.
Out of the 48 players who started the season on LIV Golf League rosters, nearly one-third (15) have competed in a Ryder Cup. Koepka is one of six Americans, including Phil Mickelson (12), Dustin Johnson (5), Bubba Watson (4), Patrick Reed (3) and Bryson DeChambeau (2). On the European side, nine players have participated in at least one staging of the biennial event: Lee Westwood (11), Sergio Garcia (10), Ian Poulter (7), Henrik Stenson (5), Paul Casey (5), Martin Kaymer (4), Graeme McDowell (4), Thomas Pieters (1) and Bernd Wiesberger (1).
