NAPA, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 15: Patton Kizzire of the United States celebrates after sinking his putt on hole #18 and winning the tournament during the final round of the Procore Championship 2024 at Silverado Resort on September 15, 2024 in Napa, California. (Photo by Al Chang/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
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The PGA Tour heads to Napa, California, this week, where ten of the twelve United States Ryder Cup members will compete in the Procore Championship at the North Course at Silverado Resort.
The bigger story may be the two absentees: Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau. Schauffele has not explained his decision to skip the event, though rumors suggest he is dealing with a family matter.
Asked in mid-August during the BMW Championship if he planned to play in Napa, Schauffele said:
“I don’t know how many guys have signed up or not, but I wouldn’t say there’s an expectation for us to play. A lot of us do want to play just to stay fresh, knock off some rust. I’ll have an even longer break, so we’ll see how that goes.”
DeChambeau addressed the issue a few weeks later at LIV Golf Indianapolis, saying:
“That’s up to the Tour and their decision to make. It’s on them if they don’t let us come together as a team and play.”
DeChambeau remains ineligible for PGA Tour events as a member of the LIV Golf League, though he voiced his desire to compete in Napa:
“That just shows you… yeah, I’m not going to say that. Yeah, it’s a scenario that’s unfortunate, and I wish it was different, but LIV is willing to let me play.”
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 12: Bryson DeChambeau of the United States moves a sign while preparing to play his second shot on the 13th hole from the 14th fairway during the second round of the 2024 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 12, 2024 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
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The other ten Ryder Cup members form the strongest field in Procore Championship history. Scottie Scheffler, J.J. Spaun, Harris English, Patrick Cantlay, Russell Henley, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas, Ben Griffin, Sam Burns, and Cameron Young are all in the field. Defending champion Patton Kizzire has been overshadowed in the “power rankings,” with every Ryder Cup player listed as a favorite.
While not mandatory, U.S. captain Keegan Bradley strongly recommended his players tee it up this week. In 2023, many Americans had five weeks off before the Ryder Cup in Rome. Then-captain Zach Johnson dismissed it as a factor in the U.S. loss, but Bradley wants his team sharp heading into the competition.
The European squad is taking a similar approach at the DP World Tour’s BMW PGA Championship. Rory McIlroy will sit out, but the field includes Tommy Fleetwood, Ludvig Åberg, Tyrrell Hatton, Shane Lowry, Matt Fitzpatrick, Bob MacIntyre, Viktor Hovland, Nicolai Højgaard, Jon Rahm, and Justin Rose.
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