“It was just hearing his perspective” - Brooks Koepka on his talk with Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson during The Open practice at Royal Liverpool

The Ryder Cup is set to tee off in September at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome. With less than three months to the competition, LIV Golf players continue to raise questions over their eligibility for the event. PGA Championship 2023 winner Brooks Koepka is one such name.

Amid confusion regarding the international event and its selection continuing to take center stage, Koepka on Tuesday got a chance to practice with United States team captain Zach Johnson himself. The LIV star hit a few rounds with the US side skipper at Royal Liverpool. The golfer later opened up on their conversation and said that he listened to Johnson’s “perspective” in the selection matter.

Speaking about his unplanned practice round with Zach Johnson, Brooks Koepka told the media:

“Walked on the first tee right behind Scottie [Scheffler]. He didn't have a tee time, neither did I and neither did Zach and neither did Cam [Smith]. There was a good little wait, so we all played.”

Replaying to query on whether they talked about the Ryder Cup, Koepka said:

“Yeah, it was fun. We got to talk about it a little bit, just what's going on, I guess how the team is shaping up. It's kind of interesting. Yeah, it was just hearing his perspective and all the stuff he's got to do.

"The PGA of America does a really good job in easing it for him, and just kind of talking about the preparation for it, what our team is going to do, where are we going to be, and just a little bit more about the shuffle of guys and the stuff they have kind of behind-the-scenes stats, stuff like that. It's quite interesting just hearing about it all.”

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Zach Johnson doesn't want Brooks Koepka, other LIV players at the Ryder Cup

It is pertinent to note that Brooks Koepka, who recently jumped a few ranking spots owing to his PGA Championship win, is currently third on the United States team rankings. Despite being on the Saudi-backed series, the golfer is in place to gain automatic qualification for the US Ryder Cup team.

However, Captain Zach Johnson seems less interested in picking LIV players for his side. The two-time major winner had recently said that “no decisions have been made” regarding the eligibility of rebel players. He went on to state that he personally didn’t want LIV golfers playing in the competition. It’ll be interesting to see if his stance has changed since the PGA Tour’s surprise alliance with the PIF.

As for Brooks Koepka, he has been part of three Ryder Cups, including the sides that won in 2016 and 2021. The golfers’ fans seem to eagerly waiting to see him tee up again on the international stage.