Zach Johnson Ignores The Fake Drama, Picks Brooks Koepka For U.S. Ryder Cup Team

Brooks Koepka will represent the United States in the 2023 Ryder Cup.

That statement isn't controversial, or even that surprising, despite how badly plenty of people out there want it to be. Zach Johnson selecting Koepka with one of his six captain's picks proves the so-called noise and drama about taking a LIV player to Italy is fabricated, and not actually a reality.

Less than two weeks ago, Brandel Chamblee sat on Golf Channel and stated that "Brooks Koepka missing this team would be good for this team" and "Koepka being on the Ryder Cup is a referendum of LIV."

Chamblee has been the loudest critic of LIV Golf since its inception, but his comments were nothing more than another page added to the media playbook of trying to keep the LIV vs. PGA Tour feud going.

Brooks Koepka has helped lead the U.S. to two Ryder Cup victories in his career. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Koepka won his third PGA Championship in May, a tournament run by the PGA of America, the same PGA of America that runs the U.S. side of things at the Ryder Cup. He also finished in a tie for second at the Masters the month prior and ultimately finished seventh in the U.S. team standings all while having just four opportunities to actually earn points. He's also never lost a Sunday's singles match in each of his three Ryder Cup appearances.

Those are the things Johnson and the 11 other players on the United States squad care about, not the fact that he plays on LIV Golf. Johnson alluded to this during his press conference after making his captain's picks confirming that the six automatic qualifiers had a major say on each of the six captain's picks.

"The way I see it, basically earned his way onto the team," Johnson said. "It was a pretty easy pick. Brooks is great in the team room, great inside the ropes. These guys wanted him. I wanted him. A very natural fit."

Approval from Johnson, his vice-captains, and the six guys who earned a spot on the team is quite literally all you can ask for. Everyone in the room wanted Koepka on the team, the opinions of those outside the room simply don't matter.

The idea that Koepka simply being in the U.S. team room and being asked a few questions about LIV would create some sort of middle school cafeteria-type drama is laughable.

These are grown men - professional athletes who are more focused on representing their country and ending their 30-year drought across the pond than where Koepka's paycheck comes from.

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