A few weeks ago we seemed to have finally made peace with the fact that the European heroes from the past couple of decades would no longer be part of proceedings at Marco Simone in Italy.
Part of this was fairly flattering to the likes of Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter but they’ve been part of the competition’s furniture for so long that many have struggled to let go of the prospect of a European team without the pair of them.
A sounder reality check is that Westwood is now 50 and has a best finish of 20th (in a field of 48) in seven starts this year. For Poulter, now 47, it’s been a similar tale of mediocrity with The Postman failing to deliver all season other than a 12th-place finish at Mayakoba in February.
Elsewhere Paul Casey, Graeme McDowell and the short-lived captain for these matches, Henrik Stenson, have failed to register much of note. Thomas Pieters joined LIV in February and is yet to post a top-15 finish in six starts and, should that form continue, it would be a long shot from Donald to choose him should things be relaxed.
But where things become interesting, for Europe at least, is the whereabouts in late September of Sergio Garcia.
The competition’s record points scorer is no longer a member of the DP World Tour which, by the letter of the law, means that he can’t be part of Luke Donald’s side. Something which Rory McIlroy, who has reportedly fallen out with the Spaniard over the past year’s disintegration of the game at the highest level, pointed out in his press conference in Canada this week.
According to McIlroy, if you’re not a member, then you’re not coming in.
“I don’t think it changes. The ruling in that arbitration court was upheld that the European Tour can uphold the rules and regulations and sanction people for leaving the Tour, for harming the Tour. And again, I think it’s a moot point, because all those guys have resigned their membership. If you’re not a member of the European Tour you can’t play the Ryder Cup. So to me it’s a moot point.”
In a statement to the players from the DP World Tour chief executive Keith Pelley it reads: “Similar assumptions have been made that European players who have resigned from the Tour will now be able to be part of this year’s Ryder Cup. Once again, it is not that straightforward.
“There are only two criteria for being a member of the European Ryder Cup team, namely: (1) you are European and (2) you are a member of the DP World Tour. To meet the second criterion, they would…
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