CHARLOTTE N.C. – Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter were long shots or, at best, fringe candidates for the European team at the 2023 Ryder Cup in Italy later this year, but they were certain future captaincy options in the bi-annual bash against the United States.
The three players and Richard Bland resigned from the DP World Tour membership on Wednesday. Their hopes to be the captain of Team Europe have been dashed.
The DP World Tour released a statement saying that “their resignations and the sanctions imposed on them are a result of their own decisions.” World No. Rory McIlroy couldn’t agree more.
“It’s a shame,” I think. McIlroy said after the Wells Fargo Championship 2023’s first round on Thursday that it was a shame to have the Ryder Cup’s highest-ever points scorer and two players who, when they reflect on their careers, will probably remember the Ryder Cup roles they played for Europe. It’s a shame that those three guys won’t be captaining Europe one day.
Garcia is the European leader in points with a total of 28.5. He has an impressive 25-13-7 score. Westwood, with 11 appearances, is tied with Bernhard Langer for third place with 24 points. Poulter’s 15-8-2 record and 6-0-1 singles win has been a thorn on the Americans side.
As DP World Tour stated in their statement, it was ultimately their decision and they were aware of the potential consequences of their choices and actions. And here we are. It’s a real shame.
A player must be a member of the DP World Tour to be eligible to play for Europe.
After they participated in the first LIV Golf tournament in London, without a conflicting event exemption for the tour, the players were “sanctioned” for serious violations of the Tour’s Conflicting Tournament Regulation. Sports Resolutions, an independent United Kingdom panel, ruled on April 6 that the DP World Tour could fine and suspend LIV golfers who participated in conflicting tournaments without permission.
Luke Donald , who was appointed captain of the Europeans by Henrik Stenson last summer after he moved to LIV Golf, will lead them at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club near Rome from Sept. 29-Oct. 1.
