Keegan Bradley frustrated by Bryson DeChambeau and Others

Bryson DeChambeau’s Ryder Cup Hopes in Jeopardy as Loophole Expires, Potentially Frustrating Keegan Bradley

American golfer Bryson DeChambeau may face a significant setback in his aspirations to play in the 2025 Ryder Cup. Despite his current involvement with LIV Golf, the former U.S. Open champion had been considered a likely candidate for selection at Bethpage Black, with Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley showing interest in choosing his best 12 players, regardless of their tour affiliations.

However, DeChambeau’s participation might be in jeopardy due to a reported loophole related to outstanding payments owed to the PGA Tour. This issue stems from his departure to the LIV Golf circuit and concerns about whether he remains eligible to represent Team USA.

During the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, DeChambeau’s fellow LIV Golf player Brooks Koepka was allowed to participate as one of captain Zach Johnson’s picks. This was made possible through a temporary ‘grace period’ that was extended to LIV defectors, allowing them to remain eligible despite leaving the PGA Tour. Koepka took full advantage of this concession, but that grace period has now reportedly expired, putting the Ryder Cup futures of both DeChambeau and Koepka in doubt.

According to *The Telegraph*, the grace period granted to LIV players who had paid their annual PGA dues before June 30, 2022, allowed them to compete in Italy. However, this agreement ended in June 2023, potentially preventing DeChambeau and other LIV Golf players from participating in future Ryder Cup events unless further action is taken.

Keegan Bradley, who will captain the U.S. team for the 2025 Ryder Cup, had previously voiced his desire to ensure that all eligible stars would be available for selection, regardless of their tour allegiance. “I’m going to have the best 12 players at Bethpage, so the PGA of America needs to figure that out if that’s their problem,” Bradley stated. “I know you have to be a PGA member to play in the Ryder Cup. That’s the only stipulation. So we’ll make sure if some of those guys that we think might make the team, we’ll make sure that they are a member.”

DeChambeau remains one of the standout performers among LIV Golf players, notably securing a top-five finish at the U.S. Open in June, a major championship where he capitalized on a late collapse from Rory McIlroy to win his second title. His performance marked him as the only LIV player with such a high finish in a major this year.

DeChambeau has previously represented the U.S. at the Ryder Cup, experiencing mixed results. In 2018 in Paris, he participated in two fourball matches alongside Tiger Woods and one singles match, all of which ended in defeat. His subsequent appearance in the 2021 Ryder Cup, held at Whistling Straits, was more successful, contributing to a dominant U.S. victory over Team Europe.

The uncertainty over DeChambeau’s participation mirrors ongoing issues facing Team Europe. Jon Rahm, who recently won the LIV Golf event in Chicago and secured the individual season title, has admitted that his Ryder Cup status is also in question. Rahm has yet to pay his fines to the DP World Tour following his move to LIV Golf, further complicating the situation.

Meanwhile, discussions surrounding a potential merger between LIV Golf and the established tours remain unresolved. Progress on these negotiations appears slow, with top players, including Rory McIlroy, expressing frustration over being kept in the dark about ongoing talks.

As the 2025 Ryder Cup approaches, both the U.S. and European teams continue to grapple with the fallout from the emergence of LIV Golf and the resulting tensions with traditional tours, leaving questions about the composition of the final teams yet to be answered.