Rory McIlroy reckons Brooks Koepka deserves a spot in the United States team for the Ryder Cup - but believes the European team should contain no LIV Golf players.
One of the biggest debates surrounding the ongoing LIV saga is whether players from the Saudi-backed series will be able to compete in the Ryder Cup this September. European trio Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood have already had their fate confirmed, after resigning their DP World Tour memberships, thus making them ineligible.
On the American side, it seems the door is still open for a number of LIV's biggest names to make the 12-man team, especially after Brooks Koepka secured the PGA Championship at Oak Hill this month.
After winning his fifth major title, many called on captain Zach Johnson to include the 33-year-old in the American team later this year despite his LIV loyalties. And one man who agrees with this claim is arguably LIV Golf's biggest critic in McIlroy, who has contradicted his strong stance on the breakaway tournament to make an exception for his rival.
Speaking ahead of this week's Memorial Tournament, McIlroy said: "I mean, I certainly think Brooks deserves to be on the United States team. I think with how he's played, I mean, he's second in the U.S. standings, only played two counting events.
"I don't know if there's anyone else on the, you know, on the LIV roster that would make the team on merit and how they're playing. But Brooks is definitely a guy that I think deserves to be on the U.S. team."
Despite backing up Koepka's case, the same cannot be said for Europe's LIV rebels, who McIlroy does not want to see included. He believes that no LIV player should make Luke Donald's 12-man team as they look to win the Ryder Cup back this Autumn.
"But I have different feelings about the European team and the other side and sort of how that has all transpired," he added. "Yeah, I don't think any of those guys should be a part of the European team."
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McIlroy's view differs from his long-time teammate Jon Rahm though, who believes Donald should be able to pick Europe's 12 best competitors, regardless of where they play their golf.
"Again, it’s the best Europeans against the best American, period," Rahm said this week. " And whatever is going on, who is playing LIV and who is not playing LIV to me shouldn’t matter. It’s whoever is best suited to represent the European side,"
Alluding to the absence of fellow Spaniard Garcia, he added: "I have a hard time to believe that the best player Europe has ever had, the most successful player Europe has had on the Ryder Cup isn’t fit to be on the team."
