ROCHESTER N.Y. — While U.S. Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson on Sunday spoke coyly about Brooks Koepka’s chances of being on the Ryder Cup team before Koepka went on to win the PGA Championship, saying there were “still 54 holes left’’ to play, Koepka left little doubt about whether he belongs.
The PGA Championship victory moved Koepka, who’s playing on the LIV Golf tour, to sixth place in Ryder Cup points. And Scottie Scheffler made it clear after his round what his thoughts are on the matter.
“I want to win the Ryder Cup,’’ Scheffler said. “I don’t care about tours or anything like that. I want to win the Ryder Cup. It’s something we talked about last year when we finished, or I guess a year and a half ago now. We want to beat those guys in Europe. It’s been a long time since we’ve beat them [on European soil].
“Whoever the best 12 guys that make a complete team, it’s different than individual tournaments. We want a team of guys that are going over there together to bring the Cup back home, and that’s all I really care about.’’
The Ryder Cup is in September in Italy.
With his tie for second place Sunday, Scheffler moved past Jon Rahm as No. 1 in the world rankings as Rahm finished 50th.
“Do I become No. 1 again?’’ Scheffler asked after his final-round 68. “That’s great. I mean, it’s just an algorithm. It’s nice, but I really don’t care. I don’t play for world ranking. I play to come out here and compete. Right now, I’m a little sad that I wasn’t able to get the tournament done, but I’m proud of how I fought, I’m proud of how I played the back nine today to give myself a chance.
“I got beat by somebody that played better this week, and tip of the cap to Brooks.’’
Rahm wasn’t in the mood to assess his week when asked, after finishing 50th at 7-over par, saying, “It’s too early to ask me that right now; I just finished.
“It’s too early to be thinking about it. There’s always a positive, though. But I’ll think about it tonight or tomorrow and kind of reflect on the tournament. There’s always something to learn, though. It’s golf. When you think, ‘Oh, I got this,’ it kicks you in the mouth, and you have to start over again. It happens to everybody. It wasn’t my best week, but I don’t think it was terrible either.’’
For a sixth consecutive year, Jordan Spieth left the PGA Championship without the Wanamaker Trophy and still chasing the elusive career Grand Slam.
Spieth, whose 2017 British Open victory was the third leg, drawing him closer to Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Ben Hogan, Gene Sarazen and Gary Player as the only players in golf history to have won all four majors, closed the 105th PGA on Sunday in a tie for 29th at 5-over par.
“[Coming] off of Hilton Head, I would have said I’m as excited as ever to have this opportunity,’’ Spieth said. “Then from there I went downhill for a bit. I tweaked my back really bad heading into Charlotte Monday morning. Then I ended up playing poorly kind of fighting it a little bit, and I [injured my left] hand on Friday evening.
“So, I just had a couple of random things that instead of really gaining on Hilton Head going forward and really that stretch of Augusta Sunday to Hilton Head. It’s life, that’s what happens. My expectations changed. I didn’t think I would be here.’’
Spieth said the hand injury was “something that hockey guys wouldn’t have even told anybody about and gone back out and played.’’
“I’m a bit disappointed, but coming into the week, it would have been hard for me not sign with where I am, and that’s really weird for me to say in a major. Surprisingly, two weeks ago I would have signed up for this easily.’’