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Rory McIlroy still doesn’t sound like he’s a fan of golfers who left the PGA Tour to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series.
That’s even after the agreed merger between the two entities and with the 2023 Ryder Cup now just days away.
McIlroy was asked about players like Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter, all of whom were previously mainstays on Team Europe, missing out on the 2023 edition of the event.
“It’s certainly a little strange not having them around,” McIlroy said of his former teammates. “But 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.”
At least one of Garcia, Westwood, Poulter or Graeme McDowell had played for Team Europe in each Ryder Cup since 1995.
Brooks Koepka is the lone LIV golfer player in this year’s event. Koepka, who plays for Team USA, was a captain’s pick by Zach Johnson.
Fellow LIV member Bryson Dechambeau recently stated that he was unhappy with the way Johnson handled the process.
“Brooks is obviously going to kill it for Team USA next week,” Dechambeau said of missing out. “but yeah, it definitely does sting a little bit.
“It would have been nice to at least just have a call,” he added, speaking of Johnson “There’s numerous people that I think Zach should have called out here, and we didn’t get that.”
LIV Golf players were initially banned from both Team Europe and Team USA. Though Team USA later walked back that stance.
It’s uncertain whether Garcia, Poulter or Westwood would have been picked either way. None of the three won a tournament in 2023. And only Garcia had multiple top-10 finishes.
The Ryder Cup begins on Friday with both four ball and foursomes sessions. It concludes Sunday with single matches. The US hopes to win its first Ryder Cup on European soil since 1993 at The Belfry in England.