Ian Poulter hopeful for Ryder Cup reprieve after the merger of golf’s warring factions… with the seven-time veteran effectively frozen out after joining LIV Golf last year
- Ian Poulter hopes to return to the Ryder Cup after being frozen out as a LIV rebel
- The merger of golf’s warring factions could see Poulter make an eighth showing
- Lee Westwood admits ‘we’re all speculating’ after LIV Golf and PGA merged
Ian Poulter is hopeful that doors will open to a Ryder Cup return after the merger of golf’s warring factions.
The 47-year-old, an iconic veteran of seven previous matches, is among the cohort of LIV rebels who have effectively been frozen out of their sport’s showpiece team event because of the ructions of the past 12 months.
In returning to Centurion in Hemel Hempstead, the fiery scene of LIV’s launch last year, Poulter is optimistic that the shock peace deal between his circuit’s backers and the tours of the US and Europe has improved his chances of one day taking part again.
While it would be considered unlikely to see him feature in a playing capacity in future, he would be viewed as a natural captain down the line.
The same goes for Lee Westwood and Henrik Stenson, with the latter having lost the role in the fallout of his defection last summer.
Ian Poulter is hopeful he will be able to return to Ryder Cup action after PGA and LIV merged
Lee Westwood admitted ‘we’re all speculating’ because of the changing landscape of golf
Asked about the prospects of being brought back into the cup fold, Poulter said: ‘I’d like to hope so. It’s been a huge part of my life over the last 20 years, playing seven, and being a vice-captain for one, and it goes without saying how much I’ve loved playing Ryder Cup.
‘To be in a position we are today where the powers that be are actually trying to work things out is good for golf. We don’t know any of the detail. We don’t know the position of the DP World Tour to allow us that opportunity, so we’ll just have to wait and see. But we’re in a better position today than we were a month ago.’
Westwood added: ‘We’re all speculating, aren’t we, because it’s impossible to know what the golfing landscape is going to look like. We didn’t know that everybody had come together three weeks ago. It all changed so fast.
‘Golf seems to be changing quickly at the moment. I’ll certainly be cheering Luke Donald and his team on come September. I wore the European flag with pride 11 times, and I’ll be hoping that they play great and win in September.’
