Brooks Koepka's Ryder Cup fate hangs on Xander Schauffele and Max Homa's 2023 BMW Championship performance
Brooks Koepka's Ryder Cup qualification depends on Xander Schauffele and Max Homa's performance at this week's BMW Championship. If Homa finishes solo 10th or Schauffele finishes solo ninth, Koepka will be knocked out of the auto qualification berth.
The LIV golfer is currently ranked fifth in the US Ryder Cup point standings, trailing Homa and Schauffele. Interestingly, the latter duo have been competing in this week's BMW Championship and have the opportunity to improve their standings.
Koepka, meanwhile, is forbidden from participating in PGA Tour events and has no option of accumulating points for automatic qualification to the US Ryder Cup Team.
If he fails to qualify via auto-qualification, Koepka's Ryder Cup fate will be decided by skipper Zach Johnson, who will select six more members for the US team. Koepka has been in superb form this season, and supporters believe he is deserving of a berth on the team.
The US Ryder Cup captain has hinted at adding LIV players to the roster. In an interview with Golf Subpar, he admitted that the Ryder Cup team will have six American players. He indicated that most of them will play on the PGA Tour but not necessarily all, implying that he may select LIV golfers.
"Americans. 6 Americans, Born in the United States. And probably on the PGA TOUR, but not necessarily," said Johnson.
Xander Schauffele and Max Homa's performances at the 2023 BMW Championship
After three rounds of the 2023 BMW Championship, Max Homa settled in solo fourth place with a score of under nine. He played three rounds of 68-62-71 to finish with a score of 9 under 201.
Homa started the game on Thursday, August 17, with two back-to-back birdies on the third and fourth holes and then added another bogey on the sixth hole. He made a birdie on the 17th hole to score 68 in the first round.
Homa played the second round of 62, the lowest of his career. He started the Friday round with a birdie on the first hole and then made two consecutive birdies on the fourth and fifth holes. He added another birdie on the seventh hole followed by a bogey on the eighth.
Homa made six birdies and a bogey on the back nine to score 62. He followed that up with four birdies, two bogeys, and one double bogey on Saturday to score 71.
Xander Schauffele, meanwhile, finished in a four-way tie with Denny McCarthy, Justin Rose, and Sam Burns after playing three rounds of 71-65-67 at the 2023 BMW Championship.
He started his game with a birdie on the first hole followed by a bogey in the third round. Schauffele then made three birdies and four bogeys in the first round to score 71. He sank six birdies and one bogey on Friday to settle with a score of 65 and made four birdies and one bogey in the third round to score 67.
It is pertinent to note that the top six golfers in the US Ryder Cup standings after the 2023 BMW Championship will earn a spot in the team.