Ryder Cup 2023: Patrick Cantlay ready to seize the perfect opportunity, potentially replacing Brooks Koepka
Thanks to the divide between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour, Brooks Koepka could end up being replaced by Patrick Cantlay in the Ryder Cup. The international tournament features a points system to determine the first six spots on the team. The other six are selected by the captain.
Much like OWGR, the Ryder Cup doesn't count LIV events. Everything Koepka does there means nothing for his world ranking or the Ryder Cup. The only things he's done this year that do count are the majors.
Thanks to a T2 at the Masters and a win at the PGA Championship, he moved up near a qualifiying spot. Now, especially thanks to a +8 finish at the Open Championship, Koepka is in danger of missing out. Cantlay is primed, with more PGA Tour events to further cement this, to take that spot.
U.S. updated Ryder Cup standings pic.twitter.com/xAldX3MzGX
Presuming that Cantlay, Xander Schauffele and Max Homa don't undergo a terrible run of form, their standings will stay the same or improve and Koepka will be unable to do anything but move down.
That would potentially leave him on the outside looking in, especially with Brian Harman, Wyndham Clark and Scottie Scheffler being considered locks for the competition now.
Cantlay has nothing to do with Koepka's slide, but he is preparing to take that spot. He's currently sixth after moving up. That would qualify, but he's poised to continue moving up the standings and ensuring that he makes it in with ease.
He, and those others trailing Brooks Koepka, have four events to continue rising up the ranks: The 3M Open, the Wyndham Championship, the FedEx St. Jude Championship and the BMW Championship.
Should Brooks Koepka make the Ryder Cup?
LIV Golf members can make the Ryder Cup. If they qualify, like Brooks Koepka would if the season ended right now, they're in - just like the four majors. However, they can also be added via the six captain's choices. They're not barred from the competition.
US captain Zach Johnson has been silent on whether or not he'd select them. He was grilled extensively, specifically on Koepka, and he did his best not to answer.
"I think it’s too premature, frankly irresponsible, to even have any sort of opinion about that," Johnson said. "I think given where we are at right now, there’s a lot of points out, No. 1. No. 2, you have a bunch of elevated events."
"Shoot, No. 3, if you go back on history, there’s names right now that probably on both tours that we’re not even mentioning that could have a chance given what’s from us. So I haven’t even begun to discuss picks with anybody that I trust in my circle, specifically the vice captains. I feel like it’s irrelevant to even discuss," he added.
Johnson's comments came on the back of Koepka's PGA Championship win. Johnson gave him credit and praised him, but refused to commit to anything. It's a big decision that he and Luke Donald have to make for their respective teams and they might not know what they're going to do.