Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior WriterMay 24, 2023, 05:20 PM ET

CloseSenior college football writer Author of seven books on college football five hundred Graduate of the University of Georgia

Before final week’s PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club, US. Ryder Cup staff captain Zach Johnson was requested about the risk of a LIV Golf League participant qualifying for his staff or being one of his captain’s choices

„I. think it would be untimely and virtually irresponsible to even go into that,“ Johnson suggested. „It’s not on my radar now“

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There are still about four months to play earlier than the Americans will attempt to finish a 30-year drought on European soil at the Ryder Cup, which will take place Sept. 29-Oct. 1 at Marco Simone Golf Club and Country Club outdoors Rome

By. winning the PGA Championship for the third time and selecting up his fifth major championship on Sunday, Brooks Koepka must look like a jumbo jet on Johnson’s radar now. Koepka moved up to No. 2 in the US. Ryder Cup standings with 8,936 points. Only Scottie Scheffler has extra with 20,236

The. top six gamers in the standings after the BMW Championship on Aug. 17-20 will instantly qualify for the staff. Johnson will additionally make six captain’s choices

„What. I respect about Brooks is simply how he goes about his work in considerable tournaments,“ Johnson suggested Sunday. „He’s a rare breed mentally, the place he simply is able to deliver out his ideal in the most complicated and trying of circumstances“

Johnson. has suggested that chemistry will be an principal factor in how he builds his staff. Max Homa, Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay and Cameron Young circular out the present top six that would have automatic spots on the team

Johnson. is not ready to say even if he would decide upon a LIV Golf League participant with one of his captain’s choices. Two-time major championship winner Dustin Johnson, who went 5-0 in the Americans‘ 19-9 rout of the Europeans at Whistling Straits, Wisconsin in 2021, is thirty seventh in points. Bryson DeChambeau, who tied for fourth at the PGA Championship, is 42nd

„Well,. I simply think it truly is too premature, frankly, irresponsible to even have any kind of opinion about that,“ Zach Johnson suggested. „I mean, I think given the place we’re at correct now, there’s a lot of points out, quantity one. Number two, you’ve bought a bunch of elevated events, and shoot, quantity three, if you go back in history, there’s names correct now probably on the two tours that we’re not even mentioning that may have a probability given what’s in front of us“

Scheffler,. who went 2-0-1 as Ryder Cup rookie at Whistling Straits, suggested he does not care who is part of the US. staff. He simply desires to finish the Americans‘ long, irritating drought

„I. desire to win the Ryder Cup,“ Scheffler suggested. „I do not care about tours or something like that. I desire to win the Ryder Cup. It’s a thing we talked about final year when we finished, or I guess a year and a half ago now. We desire to beat these guys in Europe. It’s been a long time since we have beat them

„Whoever. [are] the ideal 12 guys that make a finished team, it truly is different than particular person tournaments. We desire a staff of guys that are going over there together to deliver the Cup back home, and that is all I actually care about“

When. the time is right, Johnson suggested he’ll talk about his captain’s choices with his vice captains and the six automatic qualifiers who will have „direct possession in that team, collectively“. And that includes Koepka if he is in the top six, in accordance to Johnson

„For. me to stand the following and say that I would really feel comfortable or uncomfortable with it would be, I would think, selfish on my behalf simply because it truly is not my team,“ Johnson suggested. „That’s not solely my selection. It’s going to be my leadership council and it truly is going to be these that conclude in the top six. I mean, specifically, I’m going to get down to the meat of it simply because it truly is their team“

Here’s. what to watch in specialist men’s golf this week:

What’s subsequent on the PGA Tour

The highlight hasn’t dimmed on Michael Block since his top-15 conclude at the PGA Championship Maddie. Meyer/PGA of America through Getty Images

Charles Schwab ChallengeWhen: Thursday-SundayWhere: Colonial Country Club, Fort Worth, TexasDefending champion: Sam BurnsPurse: $87. million

Three storylines to watch:

Block party: Fresh off his top-15 conclude at the PGA Championship, club pro Michael Block is in the Charles Schwab Challenge field, thanks to a sponsor exemption. It will be his third PGA Tour begin of the season; he missed the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open and American Express earlier this season

If. Block, the head pro at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Mission Viejo, California, can conclude in a two-way tie for fourth at Colonial Country Club this week, there’s a probability he may earn particular transitority membership to the PGA Tour. He additionally obtained a sponsor exemption in the RBC Canadian Open in Toronto on June 8-11

.

The highlight hasn’t dimmed since he captured the sport’s creativeness final week. Colonial Country Club won’t be the same problem as Oak Hill, as it truly is only 7,209 yards. But it truly is firm and quick and ranked the ninth most complicated course on tour

„It’s. simply weird now the place I come up via a gate and the guys at the gate are screaming, ‚Block party!'“ Block suggested. „The guy making me an omelet gave me knuckles and suggested I did superior final week. I mean, that is the part the place it truly is a little beyond me at this point. So it truly is cool, but I’m trying to enjoy it. I really feel considerably pure with it, so it truly is cool“

Block. will be enjoying in a featured group on ESPN+ Thursday at four pm. ET

Scheffler’s. revenge: Scheffler’s return to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking was overshadowed by Block’s ace on the par-3 15th on Sunday and Kopeka’s victory. It is the third time since Feb. 12 that Scheffler has been ranked No. 1 in the world

Scheffler. tied for second in the PGA Championship, 2 strokes behind Koepka. That was good sufficient to leap Rahm, who had a robust week and tied for 50th, sixteen pictures behind Koepka at 7 over

Scheffler. was runner-up in the Charles Schwab Challenge final year, shedding to his good friend Sam Burns, who made a 38-footer on the first playoff gap. Burns got here from 7 strokes behind to win, matching Nick Price in 1994 for the largest comeback in a last circular at Colonial

„Yeah,. that really ended our friendship,“ Burns joked Wednesday. „No, I’m simply kidding. It’s a unique situation in the sense that we’re such good friends but additionally having to compete against each different. I think at the finish of the day, we the two desire to beat each different. We the two desire to win. But at the same time, after it truly is all suggested and done, we can be happy for each different and congratulate and celebrate with one another“

Along. with Burns and Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, Viktor Hovland, Homa, Tony Finau and Collin Morikawa are in the field

Spieth. on the mend: Spieth offered reporters a few extra details on how he injured his left wrist ahead of the PGA Championship. He suggested doctors clinically determined him with having a moderate-grade tendon sheath tear. According to the Cleveland Clinic’s website, the synovial membrane is the protecting sheath that surrounds the tendons in the wrist

Spieth. suggested he injured himself after returning home from the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina

„I. was simply enjoying with my son,“ Spieth suggested. „I wasn’t even holding him or something. I was simply pushing myself off the ground while he was like laughing and going facet to facet. Something simply popped and jammed, and then all of a sudden, I could not move it and bought on it correct away“

Spieth. pulled out of the AT&T Byron Nelson to get ready for the PGA Championship. He tied for twenty ninth at 5 over. His scores were greater each round, together with a 1-under 69 on Sunday

„I. thought if I get via four rounds, and I was not going to make something worse or jeopardize something going forward, then I thought it would be worth it and you simply never know,“ Spieth suggested. „Turns out you cannot actually form of fake it into a major. You form of actually need to be as equipped as possible“

Spieth. suggested his left wrist is still being monitored by doctors

„At. this point, I do not really feel like I’m dashing things,“ Spieth suggested. „I think I’m on par with following the docs I’ve talked to, and it truly is form of a week-to-week thing simply because it truly is a thing that can get worse. If it does, I need to cut it off immediately“

What’s. subsequent in the LIV Golf League

It’s back to the links for Brooks Koepka after a enjoyable week celebrating his PGA Championship victory Issac. Baldizon/NBAE through Getty Images

LIV Golf Invitational DCWhen: Friday-SundayWhere: Trump National Golf Club Washington DC,. Sterling, VirginiaPurse: $25 million

Three things to watch:

All hail the champ: It’s been relatively a week for Koepka. After claiming the Wanamaker Trophy for the third time, he was on hand to watch the Florida Panthers seize a 3-0 lead over the Carolina Hurricanes in the NHL playoffs five hundred. On Tuesday night, he was sitting courtside to see the Miami Heat lose to the Boston Celtics in Game four of the Eastern Conference finals

Ottawa. Senators forward Brady Tkachuk even had some enjoyable with Koepka’s trophy

Brady. out the following celebrating with @BKoepka

: @BeatinTheBookiepictwittercom/lehsdQbI8n

—. Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 23, 2023

It’s back to golf on Friday for Koepka, who became the first LIV Golf League participant to claim a major championship victory

In. an interview with LIVGolfcom,. Koepka suggested he was seeking forward to enjoying Trump National Golf Club Washington DC,. which is owned by former US. President Donald Trump. It’s going to play about 7,700 yards

„I. know when I performed with Trump a couple months ago, we were speaking about it, and he informed me I’d love it,“ Koepka suggested. „Like you said, big-boy golf course. It’s going to be long. I do not think we have actually performed too many long golf courses yet. I think they’ve been a lot of thinker golf courses and place golf courses the place this may be extra of a bomber’s paradise. It’ll be exciting“

DeChambeau’s. progress: Koepka wasn’t the only LIV Golf League participant who made a breakthrough at Oak Hill. Bryson DeChambeau tied for fourth at 3 under, his ideal conclude since he was runner-up at the 2021 BMW Championship

The. Crushers GC captain has simply one top-10 conclude in 12 LIV Golf events the previous two seasons; he was seventh at Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, two weeks ago. He finished twenty first in points final season and is twenty eighth this year

DeChambeau,. who climbed from 214th to ninetieth in the OWGR, has misplaced weight and suggested he is performed tinkering with his swing. He credits his caddie Greg Bodine, who formerly labored with Finau, with protecting him sufferer on the course

„Nothing’s. changed,“ DeChambeau suggested. „Same person. Have a little extra patience, I will say that. I’ve bought a guy on the bag that is positively been superior to help hold me calm in situations“

Eyes. on LA:. Sergio Garcia became the twelfth LIV Golf League participant to qualify for subsequent month’s US. Open at Los Angeles Country Club when he tied for fourth in a 36-hole qualifier in Dallas on Monday

Koepka,. a two-time US. Open winner, is between 11 gamers who have already qualified, along with fellow previous champions DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson and Martin Kaymer. Abraham Ancer, Phil Mickelson, Joaquin Niemann, Mito Pereira, Thomas Pieters, Patrick Reed and Cameron Smith are additionally in the subject for the US. Open, which will be performed June 15-18

Matthew. Wolff, Marc Leishman, Harold Varner III and others are additionally making an attempt to get in the subject via open qualifying. About a dozen players, together with Bubba Watson, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Charl Schwartzel, opted not to attempt to qualify

The. 10 remaining qualifiers will be performed on June 5

Big. names subscribe to TMRW Sports

Justin Bieber is one of the latest investors in TMRW Sports‘ TGL league Messigoal. Rachpoot/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

Music stars Justin Bieber, DJ Khaled, Macklemore, Jake Owen and Darius Rucker became the latest celebrities to develop into investors in TMRW Sports, which is launching a tech-infused golf league fronted by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, in accordance to an announcement by the enterprise on Wednesday

The. new league, TGL, will have gamers competing on six three-man teams in 15 regular-season matches and a playoff starting in January 2024. Teams will compete in an area in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

„Golf. is thriving from a surge in cultural relevance that spans generations and demographic groups,“ TMRW Sports founder and CEO Mike McCarley suggested in a statement. „These entertainers come from different walks of life and have different fanbases, but all share a genuine ardour for golf and, in their personal ways, can introduce golf to new fans“

Previous. investors include Stephen Curry, Lewis Hamilton, Alex Morgan, Shohei Ohtani, Serena Williams and Justin Timberlake

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