Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood resign their DP World Tour memberships with speedy impact; now ineligible for September’s Ryder Cup in Italy, reside on Sky Sports activities; DP World Tour: “Their resignations, together with sanctions imposed upon them, are a consequence of their very own decisions”
Final Up to date: 03/05/23 8:19pm
Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter are two of 4 gamers who’ve resigned their DP World Tour membership with speedy impact
Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Richard Bland have all resigned their DP World Tour memberships with speedy impact, making them ineligible to compete in September’s Ryder Cup.
The trio of Poulter, Garcia and Westwood have performed in 28 Ryder Cups between them, lifted greater than 50 titles, and have been honorary lifetime members earlier than their announcement.
The 2023 Ryder Cup takes place on the Marco Simone Golf and Nation Membership in Guidonia Montecelio close to Rome from September 29 to October 1, reside on Sky Sports activities.
Westwood, Poulter, Garcia and Bland have been all given sanctions by the DP World Tour for breaking guidelines by showing within the LIV Golf collection’ opening occasion in Hemel Hempstead final yr with out permission.
“The DP World Tour at this time confirmed it has obtained membership resignations from Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Richard Bland and Lee Westwood who have been sanctioned for severe breaches of the Tour’s Conflicting Event Regulation dedicated final June.
Lee Westwood (left) is one other extremely skilled participant to have resigned their DP World Tour membership, having performed on the LIV Tour
“The DP World Tour want to take this chance to thank the 4 gamers for the contribution they’ve made to the Tour and specifically to Sergio, Ian and Lee for the numerous half they’ve performed in Europe’s success within the Ryder Cup over a few years.
“Their resignations, nonetheless, together with the sanctions imposed upon them, are a consequence of their very own decisions.
“As now we have constantly maintained all through the previous yr, the Tour has a duty to its whole membership to manage the member rules which every participant indicators as much as. These rules are in place to guard the collective pursuits of all DP World Tour members.
“The impartial panel appointed by Sport Resolutions recognised this, figuring out that our Conflicting Event Regulation and its utility within the circumstances didn’t transcend what was vital and proportionate to the Tour’s continued operation as knowledgeable golf tour and that now we have a professional curiosity in defending the rights of our full membership by imposing it.
“An extra replace on different sanctioned members will probably be offered on Thursday.”
English dup Westwood and Poulter have performed large components in earlier Ryder Cup efforts
‘Finish of an period for European golf’
Westwood has been concerned in some capability at each Ryder Cup since making his debut in 1997, making a record-equalling 11 appearances and serving as a vice-captain to Thomas Bjorn in Europe’s 2018 victory at Le Golf Nationwide.
The previous world No 1 registered 25 DP World Tour titles throughout a prolonged profession and topped the season-long standings as just lately as 2020, whereas Garcia has featured in 10 Ryder Cups and is the all-time report factors scorer for Crew Europe.
Each gamers have been Honorary Life Members on the DP World Tour for his or her prolonged service to European golf, whereas Poulter has been one other Ryder Cup stalwart who has performed a key position in a few of Crew Europe’s largest successes within the biennial contest.
All three may have nonetheless had an outdoor probability of qualifying for this yr’s contest had they not given up their membership, with LIV gamers formally ineligible for the Ryder Cup as issues stand.
The trio would have been probably candidates as future Ryder Cup captains, given their lengthy and profitable affiliation with Crew Europe, though their resignations imply these hopes at the moment are over.
What does that imply for Crew Europe?
Garcia, Poulter and Westwood all featured in Europe’s record-breaking loss at Whistling Straits in 2021, that means there will probably be vital modifications to the line-up for September’s contest in Rome.
DP World Tour chief government Keith Pelley has beforehand stated LIV golfers can nonetheless characterize Crew Europe within the Ryder Cup, though the restricted variety of occasions the place they’ll earn qualification factors to qualify will make that prospect more and more unlikely.
Henrik Stenson and Bernd Wiesberger have additionally switched to LIV Golf since that includes for Crew Europe two years’ in the past, additional decreasing potential Ryder Cup expertise within the crew, with Luke Donald more likely to have an inflow of rookies in his facet at Marco Simone Golf Membership.
The year-long qualification marketing campaign started final autumn and runs by till this September, when three automated qualifiers from the European Factors Record and the identical quantity from the World Factors Record becoming a member of six captain’s picks to make up Donald’s crew.
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