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Ryder Cup conundrum: With or without LIV players?

Readers of The First Call have strong opinions on whether LIV Golfers should play in this year's Ryder Cup — even if they qualify through the points process

Ryder Cup 2016
Brooks Koepka, forefront, and Dustin Johnson have been U.S. Ryder Cup teammates for the last three matches dating back to 2016. This year, it's unclear if the players, who are now LIV Golf members, will make the 2023 American squad.

Question of the week [May 1-7]: Since a number of American and European LIV Golf members — such as Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Sergio Garcia — have qualified for the majors, should they also be eligible for the Ryder Cup, especially if they meet the qualifying standards?

RELATED: The First Call Inbox archive

No. This situation shouldn’t be a surprise. Those guys knew the consequences of their choices when they took the money and decided to go to LIV. Enjoy the money, but don’t cry about not being able to play in the Ryder Cup.

Derry Myers
Edmond, Oklahoma
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Absolutely not. The sellouts made their beds, now let them go sleep in them. Shame on the ruling bodies for even letting them play in the majors. I totally disagree with that decision.

Bob Brown 
Sagamore Hills, Ohio
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[The LIV Golf players are] certainly a whiny bunch. For guys who received multiple millions to sign on with LIV Golf, it is truly surprising how much time they spend whining about well, everything. Apparently, Rodney Dangerfield gets more respect than them.

The latest is Mr. [Talor] Gooch, who apparently feels the USGA changed U.S. Open qualifying just to exclude him. Yes, I'm sure the USGA spends a lot of time thinking about Talor Gooch and ways to screw him. Apparently, he is too important to enter qualifying, where I am sure he would qualify if he could be bothered. More important to whine about it. The absolute worst are Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood. They seem to have their panties in a bunch most of the time. Based on their LIV performances they should practice more and whine less. 

If LIV survives as a viable tour, I am sure they will receive world ranking points eventually. When they do, get ready for whining about how they don't get enough points for their small weak-field 54-hole events. If you're not otherwise qualified for the majors you should have no trouble qualifying. If Gooch had bothered to enter U.S. Open qualifying, he would only have needed to beat 10,187 other entrants — one of whom is my son. Surely he could do better than him but I guess we won't find out. 

Whine on boys, it's such a great look for you and your tour. 

Blaine Walker
St. Paul, Minnesota
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They have made their bed and now must sleep in it. So no.

Graham Nielson
Dolores, Colorado
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As with driving automobiles, there are two kinds of golfers — maniacs and assholes. A maniac is anyone who plays faster than us; an asshole is anyone who plays slower.  

Terry Croyle
Moultrie, Georgia
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Although I am completely opposed to LIV Golf as an organization, I do not have a problem with LIV golfers playing on a Ryder Cup team — as long as they qualify by today's rules. I do not want the PGA Tour or DP World Tour changing the rules to accommodate LIV golfers. If they qualify, they qualify.

Barry Duckworth
Knoxville, Tennessee
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If the LIV Golf players qualify under the existing standards, then they should be eligible. 

Don Pinnock
Albuquerque. New Mexico
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No LIV golfer should be allowed to play in any PGA events, including the Ryder Cup, and the majors. As long as they are associating themselves with murderers and the country with suspected involvement in 9/11, they should be exiled.

Would we allow them if they were being sponsored by a drug cartel? Tell me the difference.

Ken MacKay
Ontario, Canada
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Are you really serious? Last I heard, the Ryder Cup was owned by the PGA of America when played in the U.S. and by the European Tour when played in Europe. Why the hell should these tours give spots to players who have turned their back on them? End of conversation.

Dick Greenwood
Bradenton, Florida
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I do not think LIV golfers should be eligible to play in the Ryder Cup. They made their choice, which was clearly about money
and nothing else. They decided to turn their backs on the very tours that made them rich and famous to chase the all mighty dollar.

The Ryder Cup has never been about money for the players, so why would these guys even care? It has been said before, they made their bed, now lie in it.  

Bob Anderson
Ottawa, Canada
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There is no way LIV Golf players should play in the Ryder Cup. More importantly, they should not be eligible for any PGA event. They sold out to the Saudis. So, let them play in LIV events only.

David Couch
Russell, Kansas
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Yes, let them play in the Ryder Cup — and any other majors. Fans want to see the best team / field possible — regardless of where they play. Along the same line of thought, the OWGR points system needs an overhaul. How can several of the LIV players be omitted from the conversation regarding the world's best? The governing bodies need to get out of the way and let competition work. 

Bill Ramsey
Grand Haven, Michigan
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I believe that they made their bed, and they should sleep in it. Phil [Mickelson] has been so vocal, so let him eat his words. 

Brian Nelson 
North Haven, Connecticut
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Yes. Just like The Masters

Buddy Morris
Mountain Brook, Alabama
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They should not be allowed to play in either the Ryder Cup or any majors. They made their decision to join that league. The PGA Tour made them successful. I have not missed any of the players ... more excited to see younger players.

Randal Barnett
Griffin, Georgia
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The LIV golfers put money ahead of principles. Let them enjoy it — they can watch the Ryder Cup on TV.

Mike Rossmeier
Chicago, Illinois
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If a player is eligible for major championships, then he should be eligible for the Ryder Cup. The tours, however, will do all they can not to let this happen. 

A prime example is Talor Gooch being denied a spot in the U.S. Open through a semantic device (and, in my humble opinion, a retroactive rule change to punish a golf heretic). This situation will only last until LIV players are denied any OWGR points and they will eventually either drop out of eligibility or come back to the PGA Tour or DP World Tour groveling. 

I have absolutely no doubt the tours will not allow OWGR points to be awarded to LIV golfers for LIV events. Since their executives sit on the OWGR committee, it is self-fulfilling prophecy. The PGA Tour, in my eyes, has not really put on a good look through this whole episode. It looks petty and spiteful. It has the best top-to-bottom product in golf. Ignore LIV and it will go away. 

Between the lawsuits and the non-stop media attention LIV is now a viable product. Of course, this doesn't really affect the American Ryder Cup Team, does it? 

William A. Galinas
Broomall, Pennsylvania
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LIV clowns have forfeited their qualification for Ryder Cup participation through their completely disrespectful, dismissive and arrogant actions against the very tours that made them who they are and enriched them. They also forfeited the chances for OWGR standing and the Ryder Cup by playing a different game — tour players play to pay their bills, while LIV clowns have been paid and play with no pressure. No LIV clowns in the Ryder Cup.

Larry Guli
Waxhaw, North Carolina
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FINDING PACE OF PLAY SOLUTIONS
Public courses I play at have a keep pace policy. ("TFC Inbox: Why does pace of play continue to be an issue?", April 19) Essentially, groups are timed after seven holes and after 18 holes, and are expected to be between seven and nine minutes behind the group ahead. They use it in permanent tee time slots and the whole field finishes in under four hours.

Early timed groups finish around three-and-a-half hours to make this work. If groups are not keeping pace over an extended number of rounds, their time is moved back or they are retired from their spots.

Another club decided to speed up play instituting another idea. Take off — and leave off — the headcovers for the driver, a fairway wood and putter, and you can’t put a club away until you need to get another club out. In other words, quit messing around organizing your bag after every shot. Unbelievably, it trimmed times by 20 minutes on average for 18 holes

Bill Bennett
Estero, Florida
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The First Call invites reader comment. Write to editor Stuart Hall at shall@buffalogroupe.com. Your name and city of residence is necessary to be considered for publication. If your comment is selected for publication, The First Call will contact you to verify the authenticity of the email and confirm your identity. We will not publish your email address. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and brevity.


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