‘We Want to Beat Those Guys’: Minutes After Brooks Koepka’s Win, Scottie Scheffler Makes His Feelings Clear About the Ryder Cup

Published 05/22/2023, 3:00 PM EDT

LIV’s Brooks Koepka has stirred quite a storm in the golf community with his 3rd Wanamaker trophy win, his first major title since 2019. The 33-year-old’s two-stroke victory at Oak Hill on Sunday has helped heal his woes from Augusta and given a much-needed boost to Greg Norman’s LIV Golf. But, most notably, Koepka’s latest feat has also significantly exacerbated the ongoing Ryder Cup debate.

With the coveted competition just a few months away, even PGA Tour’s Scottie Scheffler weighed in on whether the LIV defector will be a part of Zach Johnson-led Team USA down the road. So, what did the 2022 Masters winner have to say? Let’s find out!

Scottie Scheffler gives his verdict on Ryder Cup dilemma

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The 44th Ryder Cup is all set to take place at Marco Simone Golf Club near Rome in September of this year, and teams for the much-desired event have already started to take shape. With 3 Team USA players from 2021 now in LIV, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, and Dustin Johnson, speculations are rife about whether defectors from the Saudi-funded league will make their way into the teams.

It is safe to say that the outcome of the 2023 PGA Championship has made things even more interesting. After all, Koepka’s victory at the event is expected to place him among the top 6 in Ryder Cup points. So, what does Scheffler, who finished T2 at the year’s second major, think of the LIV pro’s chances?

“I want to win the Ryder Cup. I don’t care about tours or anything like that,” the 26-year-old shared determinedly. “We want to beat those guys in Europe. It’s been a long time since we’ve beat them [on European soil].”

“We want a team of guys that are going over there together to bring the Cup back home, and that’s all I really care about,” the golfer further expressed. Scheffler has played alongside Koepka on the 2021 U.S. Ryder Cup team, which had beaten Europe 19-9 at Whistling Straits in September of that year.

Minutes After Regaining Top Spot, ‘Sad’ Scottie Scheffler Makes an Ironic Statement Regarding World Ranking Points: ‘It’s Nice, But…’

Another player from the winning roster and currently a golfer in the LIV league, 29-year-old Bryson DeChambeau, also had a sensational outing at Oak Hill. The former U.S. Open winner finished six shots back of Koepka at T4 on the leaderboard.

Zach Johnson talks about the inclusion of LIV players in Ryder Cup team

Brooks Koepka’s thrilling form at the 2023 PGA Championship had already taken control of the Ryder Cup narrative even before winning the title, and Team USA Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson had to bear the brunt of all the burning questions.

So, will a LIV player be accepted into his team with open arms if they make it into the top-6? “If he makes the top six? Yeah, he’s on the team,” shared the 47-year-old after his final round one-over 71 on Sunday morning. “He’s got direct ownership in that, absolutely.”

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Koepka had earlier talked about his willingness to represent Team USA in the Ryder Cup. “I have no idea [if we’ll be eligible], and it’s not up to me, so I can’t make that decision,” the LIV pro had expressed. “But if they choose us, we’ll be ready to go.”

Before the 2023 PGA Championship kicked off, Koepka was ranked 22nd on the U.S. points list for Ryder Cup. He is now expected to move to 2nd place after his win. The top 6 players on the list on August 20 will automatically qualify for the biennial event. Meanwhile, Zach Johnson will get six captain picks.

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Watch This Story: Brooks Koepka Achieves What Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus Never Did, Surprisingly In Their 33 Combined Major Victories

What do you think of Scheffler’s latest comments? Which LIV golfer do you want to see play the Ryder Cup? Let us know in the comments!

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Written by:

Abantika is a fresh writer at EssentiallySports who was chosen in the recent round of ‘ES Draft’ for her strong passion for golf writing. Even in her early days, Abantika has displayed an impressive ability to cover golf with gripping and insightful stories backed by thorough research. Her inspiration comes from the words of the legendary golfer and flag-bearer of the PGA Tour, Rory McIlroy: "As long as I keep enjoying my golf, then hopefully I'll be able to play well," which motivates her to continue writing engaging pieces.

Edited by:

Tony Thomas

‘We Want to Beat Those Guys’: Minutes After Brooks Koepka’s Win, Scottie Scheffler Makes His Feelings Clear About the Ryder Cup

Scottie Scheffler gives his verdict on Ryder Cup dilemma

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