DP World Tour: Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood ineligible for Ryder Cup resigning Tour memberships

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Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood resign their DP World Tour memberships with fast impact; now ineligible for September’s Ryder Cup in Italy, stay on Sky Sports activities; DP World Tour: “Their resignations, together with sanctions imposed upon them, are a consequence of their very own selections”

Final Up to date: 03/05/23 8:18pm

Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter are two of four players who have resigned their DP World Tour membership with immediate effect

Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Richard Bland have all resigned their DP World Tour memberships with fast 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 had 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 Sept 29 to October 1, stay on Sky Sports activities.

Westwood, Poulter, Garcia and Bland had been all given sanctions by the DP World Tour for breaking guidelines by showing within the LIV Golf sequence’ opening occasion in Hemel Hempstead final 12 months with out permission.

“The DP World Tour right this moment confirmed it has acquired membership resignations from Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Richard Bland and Lee Westwood who had been sanctioned for severe breaches of the Tour’s Conflicting Match Regulation dedicated final June.

Lee Westwood (left) is another highly experienced player to have resigned their DP World Tour membership, having played 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 particularly 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 selections.

“As we now have constantly maintained all through the previous 12 months, the Tour has a duty to its whole membership to manage the member laws which every participant indicators as much as. These laws 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 Match Regulation and its software within the circumstances didn’t transcend what was obligatory and proportionate to the Tour’s continued operation as knowledgeable golf tour and that we now have a reputable curiosity in defending the rights of our full membership by implementing it.

“An extra replace on different sanctioned members might be supplied on Thursday.”

English dup Westwood and Poulter have played huge parts in previous 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 file factors scorer for Staff Europe.

Each gamers had 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 Staff Europe’s largest successes within the biennial contest.

All three might have nonetheless had an outdoor probability of qualifying for this 12 months’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 seemingly candidates as future Ryder Cup captains, given their lengthy and profitable affiliation with Staff Europe, though their resignations imply these hopes at the moment are over.

What does that imply for Staff Europe?

Garcia, Poulter and Westwood all featured in Europe’s record-breaking loss at Whistling Straits in 2021, that means there might be important adjustments to the line-up for September’s contest in Rome.

DP World Tour chief govt Keith Pelley has beforehand mentioned LIV golfers can nonetheless signify Staff 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 Staff 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 aspect at Marco Simone Golf Membership.

The year-long qualification marketing campaign started final autumn and runs by way of till this September, when three automated qualifiers from the European Factors Checklist and the identical quantity from the World Factors Checklist becoming a member of six captain’s picks to make up Donald’s crew.