Rory McIlroy tells LIV Golf defectors Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter they CAN'T be Ryder Cup Team Europe captains
Rory McIlroy says resigning from the DP World Tour means Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter WON'T be future Ryder Cup captains.
The golfing legends are two of the obvious contenders to captain Team Europe after Luke Donald steps aside but both left the European Tour to avoid paying fines for defecting to LIV Golf, Westwood admitting he still owes £850,000. Poulter said this week that he is still hoping a “coming together in golf” will see him become the European Ryder Cup captain - even if he admits he does not miss playing on the DP World Tour.
But speaking before this week’s BMW PGA, LIV critic McIlroy said: “I think it's hard because we don't really see them anymore. I'm not sure if Poults gave up his European Tour Membership. You need someone around that's comfortable. You look at what Luke has done the last few years, he's really made an effort to come over. He played in the Czech Republic. He was in Switzerland. He's making an effort to be around the players and make the players feel comfortable with him, the up-and-comers that haven't had a chance yet to be on a team or trying to make a team.
READ MORE:Mum and kids terrified after firework pushed through letterbox
READ MORE:Scottish tax on private jets 'could raise £21m from super-wealthy for climate action'
“With the guys that left, Poulter, Westwood, how can these young up and comers build a rapport with them when they are never here? You can't see them. I think that's a really important part of a Ryder Cup and a Ryder Cup captaincy.
“I'm not saying that Poulter doesn't have the credentials to be a Ryder Cup Captain, but I just think with the current state of where everything is, you need someone that's around and showing their face as much as they can. Right now, that honestly just can't be them because they are elsewhere.”
McIlroy resigned from the Player Advisory Council on the PGA Tour in November - and his move to return this year was blocked. So he is now not part of direct negotiations between the PGA and DP World Tours and the Saudi Public Investment Fund to strike a permanent peace deal.
Asked what is now holding up an agreement, the Ulsterman said: “ Department of Justice. Maybe different interests from the players' side. I'd say - it's pretty similar. I'd say maybe half the players on LIV want the deal to get done; half probably don't. I'd say it's probably similar on the PGA TOUR. Because just like anything, everyone's looking out for themselves and their best interests. You know, it would benefit some people for a deal not to get done, but it would obviously benefit some people for a deal to get done.
“I think there's different opinions amongst the players about what should happen, and I think when you have a members' run organisation, it complicates things a little bit, especially when should of those players are having to make decisions on the business side of things. So those are the two. I think the tours want it to happen. The investors certainly want it to happen because they can see the benefit for themselves. But right now, it's DOJ and differing opinions of the players.”
McIlroy, who won the BMW PGA here in 2014 just after splitting from his fiancée Caroline Wozniacki, said: “I think trying to approach that from a collaborative standpoint seems to be the best way forward.
“I think to me it seems like the people that are really making the decisions are all rowing in the same direction, which is a really good thing. And even if they are all rowing in the same direction, it still doesn't mean that a deal may get done because it's just a very complicated set of circumstances. But yeah, from what I hear, there's optimism there, and that's good to see.”