Rory McIlroy claimed Brooks Koepka belongs on the US Ryder Cup squad due to his PGA Championship win, but the Northern Irishman took a different stance on his fellow Europeans.
There has been much debate over whether Koepka should be eligible for Zach Johnson’s team to play Europe in September due to his defection to LIV Golf.
But with a tie for second place at The Masters and a PGA Championship win to clinch his fifth major, the 33-year-old moved up to second in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings, 1,537 points ahead of third-place Xander Schauffele.
The top six players on the points list after the Tour Championship qualify for the team for the biennial tournament.
And McIlroy, who has been a leader in the backlash against LIV Golf, surprisingly pleaded for Koepka to be part of his rivals’ team.
Rory McIlroy (left) claimed Brooks Koepka (right) belongs on the US Ryder Cup team
“I definitely think Brooks Koepka deserves to be part of the US (Ryder Cup) team,” he said ahead of Memorial this week via Dan Rapport.
“I think with how he played, I mean he’s second in the American standings, but only played two events.
“I don’t know if there’s anyone else on the LIV roster who would get on the team based on merit and how they play. But Brooks is definitely a guy I think deserves to be on the US team.”
But despite his support for Koepka, McIlroy reportedly did not offer the same support to his fellow Europeans.
He reportedly claimed he feels differently about the Europeans who have jumped ship, such as Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Henrik Stenson, who would captain Team Europe this year before being replaced by Luke Donald after joining LIV.
McIlroy seemingly believes that the European LIV Rebels should not play in the Ryder Cup because of the bad blood between the two warring sides.
“I have different feelings about the European team and the other side and how that all turned out,” McIlroy said without elaborating. “I don’t think any of those guys should be part of the European team.”
McIlroy did not offer the same backup foe as his fellow Europeans, such as Ian Poulter (right)
Poulter and Lee Westwood (left) are among the LIV Rebels now ineligible for Team Europe
Garcia, Poulter, Stenson, Lee Westwood and Richard Bland are all ineligible for Team Europe due to their resignations from the DP World Tour, formerly the European Tour.
In April, an arbitration panel sided with the DP World Tour in its legal battle against 12 players who had appealed a £100,000 ($124,000) fine and suspension from the Scottish Open for playing in LIV Golf’s inaugural event in the Centurion Club in June 2022 without permission.
However, McIlroy’s European teammate Jon Rahm offered a different view.
The Masters champion insisted that the Ryder Cup should be a matchup of the best Americans against the best Europeans, regardless of which tour they play on.
Rahm enjoyed a successful partnership with compatriot Sergio Garcia, but will not be able to extend it this year at Marco Simeone Golf and Country Club.
Garcia resigned from the DP World Tour after jumping to Saudi-backed LIV Golf, making him ineligible for Team Europe in September.
“It’s sad that politics gets in the way of such a great event,” said two-time grand winner Rahm, who has previously called for LIV Rebels to be eligible.
‘Again, it’s the best Europeans against the best Americans, period. And whatever is going on, who plays LIV and who doesn’t play LIV shouldn’t matter to me.
Jon Rahm did not share the view and said he would ‘miss’ compatriot Sergio Garcia (left)
It is the one best suited to represent the European side. I find it hard to believe that the best player Europe has ever had, the most successful player Europe has had at the Ryder Cup, is not fit to be on the team.
“A Spanish duo in the Ryder Cup I think is embedded in the roots of the Ryder Cup. Look what Seve [Ballesteros] And [Jose Maria Olazabal] could do throughout their partnership, right?
‘It’s unfortunate. I’ll miss him.’
Garcia has already said he will not be part of the European Ryder Cup squad, even if LIV players are eligible to ‘don’t hurt the team’.