Rory McIlroy believes will probably be tough for Ian Poulter or Lee Westwood to be a future Ryder Cup captain as a result of they not have a reference to Europe’s rising stars after defecting to the LIV Golf League.
Poulter was a stalwart for Europe at Ryder Cups and sometimes saved his finest performances for the crew occasion, incomes 16 factors in seven appearances.
Now enjoying on the LIV Golf circuit, Poulter mentioned in a current interview with Al Arabiya English that he would relish the chance to be captain of the European crew — even when that was at the moment not doable as a result of he resigned his European tour membership after becoming a member of LIV Golf. Henrik Stenson was eliminated as captain of the European crew for the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome after the Swedish golfer moved to LIV in 2022.
McIlroy mentioned gamers reminiscent of Poulter and Westwood would battle to reintegrate themselves after an unsavory break up from the European tour and pointed to present Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald‘s efforts to bond with the crew’s finest gamers earlier than final yr’s matches towards america.
“You have a look at what Luke has finished the previous few years. He is actually made an effort to return over. He performed within the Czech Republic. He was in Switzerland,” McIlroy mentioned Wednesday, talking forward of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. “He is making an effort to be across the gamers and make the gamers really feel comfy with him, the up-and-comers that have not had an opportunity but to be on a crew or making an attempt to make a crew.
“With the fellows that left, Poulter, Westwood, how can these younger up-and-comers, you understand, construct a rapport with them when they’re by no means right here? You’ll be able to’t see them. I believe that is a very essential a part of a Ryder Cup and a Ryder Cup captaincy.”
McIlroy mentioned he did not deny Poulter has the “credentials” to be a Ryder Cup captain, given his ardour for the occasion and previous outcomes.
“However I simply assume with the present state of the place all the pieces is, you want somebody that is round and exhibiting their face as a lot as they’ll,” McIlroy mentioned of the LIV Golf defectors. “Proper now, that actually simply cannot be them as a result of they’re elsewhere.”
Jon Rahm, one other participant who joined LIV Golf, retains an opportunity to be thought of for subsequent yr’s Ryder Cup crew at Bethpage Black after formally interesting the European tour sanctions towards him for enjoying on the LIV circuit. That permits him to maintain enjoying on the European tour and attain the minimal 4 begins required to remain eligible for the Ryder Cup.
McIlroy mentioned Rahm is “following the foundations” and could be “an exquisite addition to the European crew” given the best way he’s enjoying in LIV Golf.
Rahm received the person title in his first season with LIV Golf.
The Related Press and Discipline Stage Media contributed to this report.
