Brooks Koepka vaults in U.S. Ryder Cup standings after PGA Championship triumph

Brooks Koepka might be on his way to representing Team USA in this year’s Ryder Cup. 

With a T-2 at the Masters and a victory in the PGA Championship, he currently sits second in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings, with 1,537 points more than third-place Xander Schauffele. After the Tour Championship, the top six players on the points list automatically qualify. 

Though the five-time major champion can’t play in PGA Tour events due to his defection to LIV Golf last year, he’s still eligible for the four majors. Two points are rewarded for every $1,000 earned in each major. A Tour event hands out 1 point per $1000. 

After U.S. Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson finished his final round at Oak Hill, he was asked to assess Koepka’s game, with the possibility Koepka, 33, could find his way on the team with a victory Sunday. 

Full-field scores from the PGA Championship

“He’s a rare breed mentally where he just is able to bring out his best in the most difficult and trying of circumstances,” Johnson said. 

Johnson, who also has six captain’s picks, then said he hasn’t thought about the possibility of LIV players making his U.S. squad. 

“I think it’s too premature, frankly irresponsible, to even have any sort of opinion about that,” Johnson said. 

Koepka, a three-time Ryder Cupper, said ahead of the PGA that he would be happy to represent the U.S. in September at Marco Simone GC if he’s eligible — but it’s not his primary objective. 

“It would be awesome to represent the United States,” Koepka said. “Anytime we do it, it’s always fun. But I’m not focused on it. It’s not, like, my first thought when I go play well this week. If I handle my business out here, everything will take care of itself.”

Aside from Koepka, multiple LIVers increased their positions in the U.S. standings. Bryson DeChambeau moved up 64 spots to 35th after placing T-4, and Patrick Reed went from 41st to 34th with a T-18. 

The current top six are, in order, Scottie Scheffler, Koepka, Xander Schauffele, Max Homa and Patrick Cantlay.

With two more majors left this year, a lot can happen. But whoever the 12 U.S. team members in Rome are, the goal will be the same — notching Team USA’s first win on foreign soil in 30 years. 

“I don’t care about tours or anything like that. I want to win the Ryder Cup,” Scheffler said on Sunday. “We want to beat those guys in Europe. It has been a long time. We want a team of guys that are going over there together to bring the Cup back home and that’s all I really care about.”