Ryder Cup: Brooks Koepka 'deserves' to play but not Europe's LIV Golf players, says Rory McIlroy

American Brooks Koepka (left) has present surpassed Rory McIlroy (right) for large wins, with the Northern Irishman having won four

Brooks Koepka "deserves" to play successful the Ryder Cup, says Rory McIlroy but the Northern Irishman is inactive opposed to Europe's LIV Golf players taking part.

But their US counterparts tin inactive play, specified arsenic five-time large victor and existent US PGA champion Koepka, 33.

"I surely deliberation Brooks deserves to beryllium connected the United States team," said satellite fig 3 McIlroy, 34.

"I deliberation with however he's played - he's 2nd successful the US standings, [having] lone played 2 counting events."

Despite the likes of chap Spaniard Sergio Garcia joining the Saudi-funded LIV Tour, satellite fig 2 Jon Rahm said this week that the Ryder Cup should diagnostic "the champion of Europe and the United States".

The 44th variation of the biennial lawsuit gets nether mode connected 29 September.

Koepka is acceptable to gain a spot connected the US squad aft finishing successful a necktie for 2nd astatine the Masters successful April - down Rahm - and winning his third US PGA Championship title earlier this month, with McIlroy successful a necktie for seventh.

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"I don't cognize if there's anyone other connected the LIV roster that would marque the squad connected merit and however they're playing," McIlroy added.

"But I person antithetic feelings astir the European squad and the different broadside and benignant of however that has each transpired. I don't deliberation immoderate of those guys should beryllium a portion of the European team."

In April, an arbitration sheet sided with the European-based tour successful its ineligible conflict against 12 players who had appealed against being fined £100,000 and suspended from the Scottish Open for playing successful LIV Golf's inaugural lawsuit astatine the Centurion Club adjacent London successful June 2022 without permission.

Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Richard Bland subsequently resigned their rank of the DP World Tour, with each but Garcia having paid the £100,000 fine.

Henrik Stenson, who joined LIV successful 2022 aft being removed arsenic captain of Europe's Ryder Cup team, followed suit this period aft the circuit imposed further sanctions connected 26 players who competed without consent successful LIV events.

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