LA Jolla, CA – To everyone's surprise, Rory McIlroy opposes the future of Liv Golf Player being captain of the European Rider Cup.
McIlroy, who will make his eighth straight appearance on the Bethpage Black team in September, showed this ahead of this week's Genesis Invitational at Genesis Invitational.
“I'm sure I have to be certain,” McIlroy said when asked about the captain of the potential Ryder Cup coming from Liv.
“They need to deal with it, like Luke Donald has dealt with it for the past three years. That's what it takes to convince me.”
Because Donald is loved by European troops, the DP World Tour chose him to return as captain in 2025 after leading the team to victory in Rome two years ago. Neither side chose a captain who would return 30 years later. Bernard Gallasher led Europeans in 1991, 1993 and 1995. The latter was his only victory, coming to US soil at Oak Hill, Rochester.
If a player wants to represent Europe in the Rider Cup, they must meet two criteria. First, they must be from Europe, and secondly, they must have membership on the DP World Tour. Many Liv golfers, including Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Paul Casey, and Martin Kaymer, confiscated their DP World Tour status when they joined the Liv. Therefore, they cannot play for European teams. Sergio Garcia also falls into this category, but he is currently working on his DP World Tour to regain his membership. Garcia is the most wondrous rider kupper in competition history, desperately hoping to rejoin the team on Long Island after missing out in Rome.
“If you don't have access, it's pretty difficult to treat it that way. If you're Lee Westwood or Ian Poulter, it's pretty difficult without some kind of access,” McIlroy pressed.
“They gave up on their European tour membership, right? Others have access to the DP World Tour, Tyrrell [Hatton]John [Rahm]they're accessing. ”
To retain DP World Tour membership year by year, players must compete in four events other than the major championships. Since joining Liv, both Rahm and Hatton have done so to keep Ryder Cup prospects alive. Hatton won the Hea Road by Desert Classic last month, earning valuable Ryder Cup points.
For others, McIlroy insists that he must return to the DP World Tour to be considered.
Jack Mirco is a golf staff writer who plays SB Nation. Follow him with x @jack_milko.
