Brooks Koepka may put U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Zach Johnson in a precarious place ought to issues fall a sure approach on the BMW Championship.
Coming into this week, Koepka ranks fifth within the U.S. Ryder Cup staff standings.
These within the prime six after the BMW routinely qualify for the staff.
Scottie Scheffler and Wyndham Clark have already certified for the U.S. Crew, whereas Patrick Cantlay and Brian Harman are locks to make it too.
That’s the place issues get very fascinating.
How Brooks Koepka loses his Ryder Cup auto-berth
Sitting behind Koepka in sixth is Max Homa, who broke the course document at Olympia Fields Friday. Ought to Homa go on to win—or end anyplace higher than a two-way tie for ninth—he’ll leapfrog Koepka within the standings, thus dropping the 2023 PGA Champion to sixth.
Tons at stake for the Ryder Cup on the BMW Championship.
Prime-six routinely qualify after the BMW. There’s a good likelihood Koepka will get bumped from the highest six, particularly with Homa within the lead.
Ought to he drop, the one approach he makes it’s if ZJ makes use of a captain’s decide on him: pic.twitter.com/iTxOSxmUFV
— Jack Milko (@jack_milko) August 19, 2023
However Koepka may get bumped from the highest six all collectively ought to any of those circumstances happen—on prime of Homa ending ninth or higher:
- Xander Schauffele finishes solo ninth or higher.
- Jordan Spieth finishes solo third or higher.
- Cameron Younger finishes in a two-way tie for second or higher.
- Collin Morikawa or Keegan Bradley end solo second or higher.
- Sam Burns, Rickie Fowler, Denny McCarthy, or Lucas Glover win outright.
By way of 36 holes on the BMW Championship, Schauffele sits at 4-under for the championship in a tie for tenth. If he has a robust weekend, his situation together with Homa is most certainly to bump the five-time main champion from the Ryder Cup.
Fowler is at 5-under, sitting in a tie for fifth with Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, and Harris English.
Glover and Morikawa are at 3-under, tied for thirteenth.
Spieth, Younger, McCarthy, Bradley, and Burns are all at 2-under, in a tie for twenty second.
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With Olympia Fields taking part in mushy this week, gamers have the inexperienced mild to assault the golf course. That has produced decrease scores.
Simply three years in the past, the final time this course hosted the BMW Championship, solely 5 gamers completed beneath par because the successful rating was 4-under.
This yr, 32 gamers are beneath par halfway by means of the event because the pristine scoring circumstances will stay the identical for the remainder of the championship.
That doesn’t bode nicely for Koepka, who could must depend on a captain’s decide to make the staff—that’s, if Johnson selects him.
In fact, Johnson despatched an ominous message to Koepka and different LIV gamers earlier this week.
“There hasn’t been a lot communication,” Johnson stated on the GOLF.com ‘Subpar’ podcast. “I’m going to be absolutely clear. It’s exhausting as a result of I’m not in a position to witness what they’re doing and see their kind, except for 4 occasions a yr. What Brooks has completed this yr, nicely, nobody’s shocked. I’m simply glad he’s wholesome.”
Whether or not Johnson picks Koepka stays to be seen. However one factor stays sure: the BMW Championship will proceed to supply loads of Ryder Cup drama.
Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By way of. You may comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko for extra golf protection. You should definitely take a look at @_PlayingThrough too.
