In the nail-biting final round of the 2024 US Open, Bryson DeChambeau emerged victorious by defeating Rory McIlroy by just one stroke. DeChambeau is now the second-ever golfer, after last year’s PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka, to win a major after departing from the PGA Tour for LIV Golf. Despite winning the major, DeChambeau still experiences the repercussions of his 2022 decision. He will not be able to participate in the 2024 Presidents Cup at the Royal Montreal Golf Club.
Since its inception in 1994, the Presidents Cup has been held biennially. This year, golf enthusiasts will be able to witness the magic of the event from September 26 to 29. In a post shared by NUCLR Golf on its official X handle, an interrogative caption regarding Bryson DeChambeau’s chances of playing in the highly coveted tournament, “#DISCUSSION: If eligible, should @jimfuryk pick LIV Golf star Bryson DeChambeau to be on the 2024 U.S. Presidents Cup team?” The post has made everyone talk about the qualifying criteria for the American Circuit.
If we talk about the selection criteria for the players in the Presidents Cup 2024, then it’s different for both the US and the international teams, but one thing is common. All 24 players who will compete in the 2024 Presidents Cup, should be eligible to play in the PGA Tour-sanctioned events this year, which is we all know not the case for LIV golfers. Both teams have 12 players, 6 of which are selected by the captain, and the other 6 automatically qualify, thanks to their standings in OWGR and FedEx points.
The criteria for the rest of the six players qualifying automatically differ for both teams. For the U.S. players, they earn the automatic qualifying tags through points based on a weighted FedExCup points system calculated between January 1, 2023, and August 24, 2024. On the other hand, the automatically qualifying players on the international team will be selected through the OWGR. All OWGR points awarded through the 2024 BMW Championship will apply toward determining the automatic qualifiers.
But all these criteria don’t matter if a golfer belongs to the PIF-funded league, as is the case with Bryson DeChambeau. Earlier this year, the international team’s captain, Mike Weir, reflected on the issue.
What did the International Team’s captain say about the ineligibility issue?
“It’s just an unfortunate situation that we’re in right now, and they are not eligible as of now,” the 54-year-old Canadian veteran emphasized about the indefinite ban on LIV golfers. However, with a hopeful attitude for this situation to get resolved soon with a tinge of disappointment, he further added, “And hopefully going forward, maybe in Chicago in 2026, they are. It is a shame. I mean, we want the best players.”
Weir seemed disappointed and wanted to include the players in his team, irrespective of the league they were in. He reiterated the basic need for winning: “As a big, broad picture, you want the best players. Definitely, you want everybody.” That may happen in the future, but in September, the Internationals will most probably be playing without any LIV golfers.
Even DeChambeau expressed his resistance and frustration regarding the ineligibility criteria two years ago after he joined LIV Golf. He said, “I personally think that the team events are only hurting themselves by not allowing us to play, not allowing us to qualify through some capacity, in some facet.”
With this, it remains to be seen whether, after claiming the 2024 US Open trophy and receiving huge support from his fans, Bryson DeChambeau will get an exemption into the 2024 Presidents Cup.
