McIlroy says LIV defectors miss the Ryder Cup more than Team Europe miss them

Marco Simone’s squad is without Lee Westwood, who has competed in every Ryder Cup since his debut in 1997. Sergio Garcia, who began his successful Ryder Cup career in 1999, is making his final attempt at European success. tour and get to Rome.

Ian Poulter and his passion. Graeme McDowell and his heroism. They all play for LIV Golf, which is funded by Saudi Arabia, and they are all ineligible for this Ryder Cup, including Henrik Stenson, who was named the team’s European captain until he decided to sign with LIV last summer.

“It’s definitely a little weird that they’re not around,” McIlroy said. “But I think this week of all weeks they will realize they are not here. I think they’ll miss their time here more than we miss them.”

McIlroy paused briefly, aware that his comments could be interpreted as yet another dig at defectors, especially given the combative tone he has taken toward LIV Golf since the rival league was founded a year ago in June.

“I’m not saying it’s… I just think this week is a realization that the decision they made led to them not being a part of this week,” he said. “And it’s hard.”

It remains to be determined whether they will ever be invited back. The European Tour and PGA Tour have entered into a partnership with the Saudi Arabian Sovereign Wealth Fund, which is paid for by LIV Golf. The proposed business venture still needs to be finalized and approved.

Discussions include how to integrate LIV players into their tours.

“The golf landscape is constantly changing and becoming more dynamic, and we will see what happens and whether they become part of it in the future,” McIlroy said. “I always thought leading up to this week it would dawn on me that they wouldn’t be here.”

The Americans have already been through the LIV effect, playing last year’s Presidents Cup without Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau, without qualifying Patrick Reed and without Phil Mickelson as vice-captain.

Brooks Koepka returned to the Ryder Cup, but only through outstanding performances in majors, which became his only access to Ryder Cup points. He finished second at the Masters and won the PGA Championship.

“I feel like I represent the United States. That’s what’s in my hat this week,” Koepka said. “This is not a group of people in this locker room. We are all one team and we think so.”

The European team at the last Ryder Cup had eight players who then moved on to LIV Golf. The matches included Westwood, Garcia, Poulter, Paul Casey and Bernd Wiesberger. McDowell, Stenson and Martin Kaymer were vice-captains.

How many of them would have returned to compete is debatable, as four of them were over 40 and nearing the end of their careers.

When it comes to Europe and the winning culture it has created over the past four decades, leadership experience in the team room is equally valuable.

“We have some legends of the game who won’t be there but who would have a huge presence in the team,” said Tommy Fleetwood before joining Marco Simone. “Being on the same team as Poulter, Sergio, Henrik, G-Mac… until you’ve been to the Ryder Cup with them, you don’t know what they bring.

“It doesn’t mean we’re any less confident,” he said. “We really have a lot of experience. We have natural leaders. This means people are stepping into role much earlier.”

McIlroy is ready to move on, openly supporting the captain’s choice used by newcomers such as 22-year-old Nikolaj Hojgaard and 23-year-old Ludwig Aberg, who finished his career at Texas Tech just four months ago.

He believed it would be better for them to start the Ryder Cup in front of a home crowd, especially since they were expected to be in the matches for years to come.

Donald, a close friend of Garcia’s since the rocky Ryder Cup partnership they formed, has made it a point to focus on his 12 players, his back room, this version of Team Europe, rather than those outside Marco Simone.

Jon Rahm has openly stated that he wants Garcia to be part of the team so that the Ryder Cup will be more about golf and less about politics. He keeps in touch with his fellow Spaniard, saying he spoke to him as recently as Monday, and to Poulter before that.

For now, it’s about moving forward. Europe have a pattern of success – they have lifted the cup 12 of the last 18 times – and lack leadership from the old guard – Thomas Bjorn, Paul McGinley, Jose Maria Olazábal, Colin Montgomerie, Sam Torrance as examples.

“We still have a winning culture in what we do,” Justin Rose said.

“In life, in business and in everything else, obviously there are transitional stages where you need to look for new leaders, and it would be great if you could get through that transition period unaffected,” he said.

However, there was no denying the absence of so many people who had been part of Team Europe for so long, be it Westwood or Garcia, Poulter or McDowell, any of whom could have been captain. And perhaps there is still a chance.

“But the more we can develop the younger generation, the faster you will get through this transition,” Rose said.