Brooks Koepka will be welcomed onto Team USA if he qualifies, according to PGA of American boss Seth Waugh, who also played down their perceived awkward encounter at the Oak Hill trophy presentation.
Koepka won a third Wanamaker Trophy and a fifth Major overall on Sunday – putting him level with Seve Ballesteros and Byron Nelson among others in the all-time list, with only 14 men in the history of golf winning more.
The two-shot victory at Oak Hill also catapulted Koepka into second in the Team USA Ryder Cup standings and, although still not a fan of LIV Golf, Waugh says Koepka would be would be welcomed onto Zach Johnson’s team.
“If he plays his way on the team we will welcome him,” Waugh told Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis – echoing the sentiments of Team USA captain Johnson.
Waugh also clarified the interaction between him and Koepka at Oak Hill that had social media buzzing about the perceived awkwardness between them when taking pictures with the trophy.
A lot was made about the lack of handshake between the two, but Waugh has moved to brush off any talk of their being any awkwardness.
Waugh Added: “I literally said to him ‘I think they have four million pictures of me, they must have 24 million of you. I’ve never seen one of them and I don’t know if you ever have.’
“He cracked up, he laughed and we kind of turned around and smiled at each other. That was it. Somebody chose to thin that was a dis and I hadn’t shaken his hand.
“I already talked to him five times since he won. I certainly shook his hand and told him how proud I was of him. It couldn’t be sillier or further from the truth and everybody is trying to make it into this LIV thing which it’s got nothing to do with.”
Any guesses what Seth Waugh said to @BKoepka here.... #LIVGolf @SmashGC @livgolf_league @LIVGolfEnth @LIVGolfNation @LIVGolfUpdates pic.twitter.com/UBw7TfDRuPMay 21, 2023
Scheffler just wants the best Ryder Cup team
It now seems inevitable that Koepka will make the team for Marco Simone in Rome this year, given he’s got another two Majors to play with double points awarded for performances in those in the Ryder Cup standings.
And as one of the LIV Golf players who didn’t burn any bridges upon his departure from the PGA Tour, Koepka still seems to have positive relationships with the American Ryder Cup prospects.
New World No.1 Scottie Scheffler is among them, and he insists that he doesn’t care what Tour a player is on as long as they enhance the team as they look to end 30 years of failure over in Europe.
“I want to win the Ryder Cup,” says Scheffler. “I don't care about tours or anything like that. I want to win the Ryder Cup. It's something we talked about last year when we finished, or I guess a year and a half ago now. We want to beat those guys in Europe. It's been a long time since we've beat them.
“Whoever the best 12 guys that make a complete team, it's different than individual tournaments. 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.”
