Rory McIlroy explains why Europe’s Ryder Cup team will not be captained by LIV Golf members like Ian Poulter

It may not be a Ryder Cup year, but that hasn’t stopped players from discussing the biennial competition between the United States and Europe. The latest edition of the conversation stems from Ian Poulter’s interview with Al Arabiya, where he expressed his desire to captain the European team – a desire that may remain unfulfilled in the near future given the current state of the men’s professional game.

“I think it’s tough because we don’t see them anymore, especially — I’m not sure if Poelts has given up his European Tour membership or not. You know, you need someone who’s comfortable,” Rory McIlroy said ahead of this week’s DP World Tour major event. “You see what Luke’s doing. [Donald] What he’s done over the last couple of years is really put in a lot of effort to get here. He’s played in the Czech Republic. He was in Switzerland.

“He’s trying to be with the players and trying to make the players feel comfortable with him, the up-and-coming players who haven’t had a chance to join the team or make the team yet. The players who have left the team, Poulter, [Lee] Westwood, we don’t know – these young and upcoming players, you know, how can you build rapport with them when they’re never here? You don’t see them. I think that’s a very important part of the Ryder Cup and Ryder Cup captaincy.”

European veteran Poulter has competed in the Ryder Cup seven times and earned 16 points before resigning his membership from the DP World Tour last spring as he was hit with increasing monetary penalties for moving to LIV Golf. The Englishman violated the tour’s conflicting tournament rules multiple times and was fined by the league for each violation. Other LIV Golf members Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia and Richard Bland also lost their membership from the DP World Tour.

According to current DP World Tour regulations, any member who fails to comply with the minimum counting tournament regulation – or does not hold a ranked membership in an official season – will be ineligible to serve as Ryder Cup Captain or Vice Captain for Europe. Under such rules, Poulter, his fellow Majestics captain Westwood and Fireballs captain Garcia are unable to take leadership positions in the European Ryder Cup room.

“I’m not saying Poulter doesn’t have the qualifications to be Ryder Cup captain, but I think given the current situation, you need someone who is around and showing their face as much as possible,” McIlroy added. “Right now, honestly, they can’t do that because they’re somewhere else.”