Poulter 'too far removed' to be Ryder Cup captain

Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter were long-time Ryder Cup colleagues, playing together as recently as the 2021 defeat at Whistling Straits

Rory McIlroy believes LIV defectors Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood are too far removed from the current crop of European players to be considered as future Ryder Cup captains.

Poulter and Westwood resigned from the DP World Tour last year to avoid paying fines for switching to LIV.

But Poulter, speaking in an interview with Al Arabiya English, said he retained hope he would be able to captain Europe in the future.

Northern Ireland's McIlroy believes the veteran pair's absence from the European tour - which follows an acrimonious split - makes it impossible for that to happen.

"I just think with the current state of where everything is, you need someone that's around and showing their face as much as they can," said McIlroy, who has been a leading LIV critic.

"Right now, that honestly just can't be them because they are elsewhere."

The emergence of LIV, which is financially supported by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) to the tune of $2bn (£1.6bn), has seen the men's game riven by disagreement.

In June 2023, the PGA and DP World Tours announced they had a 'framework agreement' to merge with PIF.

But a deal to end golf's civil war has yet to be agreed.

Poulter, 48, helped Europe win the Ryder Cup five times and is synonymous with the 'Miracle at Medinah', playing an instrumental part in his team's extraordinary fightback in 2012.

Westwood, 51, has played in 11 Ryder Cups - a joint record for Europe alongside Bernhard Langer - and has also expressed his ambitions of captaining the team.

Both Englishmen switched to LIV in 2022.

McIlroy used current captain Luke Donald as an example of why he thinks Poulter and Westwood will struggle to reconcile with European players.

"You look at what Luke has done the last few years - he's really made an effort to come over [from the United States]. He played [on the European tour] in the Czech Republic. He was in Switzerland," added McIlroy.

"He's making an effort to be around the players and make the players feel comfortable with him - the up-and-comers that haven't had a chance yet to be on a team or trying to make a team."

Meanwhile, McIlroy says he is looking forward to getting "back on the horse" in the PGA Championship at Wentworth this week.

McIlroy, 35, was denied victory at the Irish Open on Sunday when Denmark's Rasmus Hojgaard fought back to win by one shot in a dramatic final round at Royal County Down.

Overnight leader McIlroy led by four shots early in the round but dropped shots at 15 and 17 proved costly.

"I think there may be a misconception that it hit me harder than it maybe did," said the world number three.

"You know, I didn't really feel like I necessarily lost the tournament. I felt like Rasmus went out and won it.

"Obviously I'm trying to look for the positives in all of it but I'm happy to be here. There are not many better places to be."