Exclusive: Divide Appearing In European Ryder Cup Team Over LIV Defectors

A divide is appearing in the European Ryder Cup team over the fate of the LIV Golf defectors and the DP World Tour may be leaning towards Ryder Cup bans, Golf Monthly understands.

The Ryder Cup has been rocked by the LIV Golf Invitational Series and almost certainly will look very different next year without big US names like Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed.

However, it is the European team that is more interesting as no decision has currently been made on whether the likes of Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and others will be allowed to qualify for the side or captain their continent in the future.

Golf Monthly understands that the DP World Tour, which runs the biennial match along with the PGA of America, has the feeling that no player is bigger than the Ryder Cup and that the match would still be a success without some of the sport's biggest names. 

The Tour is thought to be leaning towards banning LIV Golf players, with a decision set to be made before the start of the qualification period, which is not yet known. Tour CEO Keith Pelley last week said that he would not be making comment on the Ryder Cup until the qualification process had begun.

Golf Monthly is hearing that there may be a divide appearing as some players don't want to share a team room with LIV players who have subsequently weakened the DP World Tour by heading to the Saudi-backed series.

It's also understood that European LIV Golf players may have felt they could remain DP World Tour members and still play in the Ryder Cup, although that may not be the case.

If the DP World Tour were to ban LIV Golf players, the European side would still be very strong with McIlroy, Rahm, Hovland, Fitzpatrick, Hatton and Lowry all looking locks for Henrik Stenson's team.

Ryder Cup bans would exclude the likes of Poulter, Westwood, Garcia, Wiesberger, McDowell, Kaymer and Horsfield.