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Keegan Bradley hosts Ryder Cup dinner, invites LIV Golf’s Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka

Keegan Bradley is starting to get his Ryder Cup team together.

The U.S. Ryder Cup captain held a dinner for prospective members of his team this fall last week at the Truist Championship in Philadelphia. He didn’t hesitate to include LIV Golf members at that dinner, either.

Bradley confirmed on Tuesday ahead of the PGA Championship that he invited both Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau. DeChambeau ran into travel issues and didn’t make it, but he still participated virtually.

"We invited Brooks and Bryson, and they were in there on points, and they played on previous teams," Bradley said at Quail Hollow Club in North Carolina, via ESPN.

"It was great to have them there. This Ryder Cup and what comes with this, no one cares about what's going on in this side PGA Tour-LIV [dispute]. We're trying to put the best team together."

Bradley sent out invitations to the top 20 golfers in the Ryder Cup points standings, and all players who participated on either the last Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup teams. The top six golfers in the Ryder Cup standings after the BMW Championship this fall will automatically qualify for the team. Bradley will then make six captain’s picks to round out the 12-man team.

Scottie Scheffler, the top-ranked golfer in the world, currently leads the points list for the United States. Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, DeChambeau and Russell Henley would earn automatic bids if the race ended today, too.

The only way for LIV Golf members to earn Ryder Cup points comes at the major championships. Events on the Saudi Arabian-backed league do not count. Koepka currently sits at No. 91 on the list. He is the only LIV Golf member who participated for the United States at the last Ryder Cup in 2023, when they fell to the Europeans in Rome.

Bradley could end up using a captain’s pick on LIV Golf members, too. Now, though, he’s not ready to figure that out.

"It could mean there's one LIV guy, two LIV guys, it doesn't matter," Bradley said. "We'll see how this year shakes out. It was really great to have them together with all the guys. It's been a while since we've been able to do that."

At this point, it’s likely that DeChambeau is the only LIV Golf member with a legitimate chance to qualify automatically. DeChambeau played his way into the final group at the Masters last month, though he ended up finishing T5. He will still need impressive finishes at the remaining three major championships to pull that off, however.

"Look, I've got to keep playing good golf and, hopefully, I can make it on points alone. That's the goal," DeChambeau said. "From everything I heard, [the dinner] was pretty inspirational, and I know the captain is going to be a great leader for the team, whoever he chooses and whoever makes the team. He's going to do a great job at Bethpage."

What about the Europeans?

The European team is in a similar qualifying position as the United States. The top six golfers in the standings after the British Masters in August will automatically make the team, and then captain Luke Donald will make his captain’s picks.

Rory McIlroy currently leads that race, and Shane Lowry, Rasmus Højgaard, Tyrrell Hatton, Sepp Straka and Justin Rose are all in the top six.

Jon Rahm is perhaps the most notable European LIV Golf member to keep an eye on as the race tightens. Rahm, who sits in 29th in the standings, has been on the last three European teams. He declined to say whether Donald has told him about plans to select him with a captain’s pick for the team this fall.

“It’s his team,” Rahm said. “Hopefully, I can qualify and we don’t have to question it. I would like to think that personally I am [good enough], but it’s not up to me.”