Ian Poulter, who has been on the Ryder Cup winning team five times, revealed that a lot happened to him after he switched to LIV Golf. The English professional golfer, along with other players including Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia, were denied entry to compete in the 2023 Ryder Cup tournament.
Poulter thus expressed his disappointment with the way several golfers from the Saudi-backed league were treated last time during the Ryder Cup tournament. He also highlighted that these people had dedicated a significant part of their lives to working extremely hard and representing their country in the prestigious tournament.
“Too much happened last time. Too much was said, and that’s extremely disappointing from my perspective with the way certain people were treated and spoken about with reference to the Ryder Cup, especially when certain people have committed a lot of their life to work extremely hard for that product.”
Poulter flaunts an outstanding history in the biennial tournament with wins in 2004, 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2018, boasting a record of 15-8-2. However, the LIV golfer has now decided not to participate in future competitions, emphasizing that his self-respect is his utmost priority.
Moreover, the 48-year-old hinted that his potential involvement in the competition might only occur if the people in authority were replaced, suggesting only that could potentially sway his decision.
“So, the way it stands right now, with the current people that run that level of the organization, things would have to change for me to be involved. That’s from an everything perspective, I’m not needed, they didn’t need me last time.”
Meanwhile, players like Sergio Garcia are still hopeful of getting a chance to compete in the tournament in the future. The Spanish professional golfer even attempted to secure a spot last year by bidding to rejoin the DP World Tour. But unfortunately, his efforts landed him nowhere.
Additionally, Rory McIlroy, who was part of the winning team in Rome in 2023, was among those who expressed their dismay regarding the LIV players missing out on the biennial event.
When Rory McIlroy spoke out on the absence of LIV players from the 2023 Ryder Cup Team
The 2023 Ryder Cup saw Team Europe and Team USA compete at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club. Each of the players on both teams were PGA Tour pros, except for Brooks Koepka, who clinched a spot on the team by winning the 2023 PGA Championship.
While addressing the absence of major LIV players from the event, Rory McIlroy found it strange to not have them around. The Northern Irish professional golfer further went on to add that the players themselves would deeply miss being part of it.
“I think this week of all weeks, it’s going to hit home with them that, you know, they are not here, and I think they are going to miss being here more than we’re missing them. It’s just more I think this week is a realization that the decision that they made has led to not being a part of this week, and that’s tough.”
Nonetheless, with the ongoing merger discussions between the two tours, and various potential pathways of participation available for the LIV players, it remains to be seen which of them will manage to secure a spot at Bethpage in 2025.
