LA JOLLA, Calif. — To the shock of no one, Rory McIlroy opposes LIV Golf gamers changing into European Ryder Cup captains sooner or later.
McIlroy, who will make his eighth straight look on the workforce at Bethpage Black in September, indicated as such forward of this week’s Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines.
“I must be satisfied,” McIlroy mentioned when requested a few potential Ryder Cup captain coming from LIV.
“It will take them treating it as if Luke Donald’s handled it for the final three years, that’s what it might take to persuade me.”
Donald is beloved by the European contingent, a lot in order that the DP World Tour chosen him to return as captain in 2025 after he led his workforce to victory two years in the past in Rome. Neither aspect has picked a returning captain in 30 years, reinforcing Staff Europe’s admiration for Donald. Bernard Gallacher led the Europeans in 1991, 1993, and 1995. The latter was his solely victory, which got here on U.S. soil at Oak Hill in Rochester.
Ought to a participant wish to signify Europe within the Ryder Cup, they need to meet two standards. First, they have to be from Europe, and second, they will need to have DP World Tour membership. Many LIV golfers, resembling Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Paul Casey, and Martin Kaymer, forfeited their DP World Tour standing after they joined LIV. Due to this fact, they can’t play on the European Staff. Sergio Garcia additionally fell into this class, though he’s at present working issues out with the DP World Tour to regain his membership. Garcia is the winningest Ryder Cupper within the historical past of the competitors and desperately desires to rejoin the workforce on Lengthy Island after lacking out in Rome.
“In case you don’t have entry, it might be fairly arduous to deal with it that approach. In case you’re Lee Westwood or Ian Poulter, it’s fairly arduous if you happen to don’t have some type of entry,” McIlroy pressed.
“They gave up their European Tour membership, proper? Different guys have entry to the DP World Tour, Tyrrell [Hatton], Jon [Rahm], they’ve entry.”
To retain DP World Tour membership yr after yr, a participant should compete in 4 occasions outdoors the main championships. Since becoming a member of LIV, each Rahm and Hatton have performed so to maintain their Ryder Cup prospects alive. Hatton even gained the Hero Dubai Desert Basic final month, thus incomes precious Ryder Cup factors.
For the others, McIlroy insists they must return to the DP World Tour to be thought-about.
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By. Observe him on X @jack_milko.
