Brooks Koepka’s fifth major is the latest evidence that he should be added to Team USA at Ryder Cup

Brooks Koepka’s triumph astatine nan PGA Championship puts him successful 2nd spot successful nan Ryder Cup standings for nan U.S. team, pinch unit mounting for him to beryllium a captain’s pick.

Brooks Koepka didn’t conscionable flooded his last time nerves to triumph his 3rd PGA Championship trophy, he made it into nan five-majors club, besides becoming nan first LIV Golf subordinate to triumph a major.

Only 3 golfers of his millennium tin declare that galore titles, pinch nan 33-year-old conscionable down Tiger Woods (15) and his LIV play adjacent Phil Mickelson (6). Although Mickelson remains nan oldest golfer to execute a awesome — astatine 50 2 years agone astatine nan PGA — and a maverick competitor who still manages to thrill, arsenic he did by tying Koepka successful 2nd spot astatine The Masters past month, you could reason that Woods’ and Mickelson’s champion playing days are down them, astatine slightest successful nan lawsuit of Woods, for nan astir part.

A patient Brooks Koepka will apt adhd to his fields haul.

The truth that Koepka plays for different circuit now — nan renegade LIV convention — has not diminished his beingness successful golf. Having recovered from his debilitating knee injuries that stalled his momentum aft winning his 2nd PGA Championship successful 2019, nan five-time awesome victor has slow built backmost his crippled while connected nan LIV tour, 1 of nan fewer players to person won 2 LIV titles, including Orlando earlier this year.

For 2 fields successful a row, Koepka’s been successful beardown form. His 2nd spot astatine The Masters mixed pinch his triumph astatine Oak Hill cements him successful nan 2nd spot of nan Ryder Cup standings.

So why hasn’t Koepka been chosen yet?

“I can’t reply that,” was Team USA skipper Zach Johnson’s answer, according to nan BBC. “I’ll opportunity this: The guys that are connected nan PGA Tour that make that team, they person nonstop ownership successful that collectively.

“So for maine to guidelines present and opportunity that I would consciousness comfortable aliases uncomfortable pinch it would beryllium irresponsible because it’s not my team.”

Ryder Cup 2023: Brooks Koepka has much than earned his spot connected Team USA

With much LIV golfers placing successful nan apical 4 of The Masters than nan PGA, and Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau successful nan Top 4 astatine nan PGA Championship, nan statement that LIV Golf only features “washed-up” players doesn’t look to person overmuch merit. Additionally, 3 players placed successful nan Top 10 astatine Rochester, pinch Cameron Smith complimenting Koepka and DeChambeau.

Combined pinch nan highly competitory performances from Mickelson and Patrick Reed astatine The Masters conscionable a fewer weeks ago, nan unit is besides mounting for nan OWGR to accurately bespeak nan champion golfers successful nan world.

It’s awesome to person each nan world-class golfers competing together successful nan majors, and erstwhile it comes to nan title of nan Ryder Cup, choosing participants transcends nan tours, astatine slightest that constituent was debated by play commentators Brandel Chamblee and Brad Faxon.

As 1 European skipper was quoted, “Imagine if Europe wins erstwhile it’s evident nan US squad didn’t person their strongest team?”

For that matter, caller performances from golfers Mickelson, Reed and DeChambeau should make them imaginable picks. Certainly, astir would still see Dustin Johnson 1 of nan top existent golfers around. The statement for not including these players is becoming much difficult to justify.

But possibly immoderate discuss tin beryllium worked out. One of nan players who eagerly congratulated Koepka was Rory McIlroy, nan antecedently eager mouthpiece for nan PGA Tour, who wrapped Brooks Koepka successful a carnivore hug aft he won his 3rd Wanamaker Trophy.

Let’s dream we’ll proceed to spot much of this than nan rancor that astir play fans are sick of.

The U.S. squad hasn’t beaten Europe since 1993, thing that was connected Scottie Scheffler’s mind erstwhile he gave his frank admittance aft Koepka’s triumph astatine nan PGA Championship.

“Well, I wanna triumph nan Ryder Cup. I don’t attraction astir tours aliases thing for illustration that,” Scheffler said via SB Nation. “Something we talked about—I conjecture it was for illustration a twelvemonth and a half ago—was that we want to hit those guys successful Europe.”

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