Luke Donald Hints That LIV Golf Stars' Ryder Cup Days Are Over

Europe's Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald has hinted that the likes of Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia and Paul Casey will not be appearing for Team Europe again.

While the official reason may be due to their moves to LIV Golf, Europe's captain seems insistent that he wants a younger team for Rome 2023 with players made up from the upcoming Hero Cup.

It's nailed on that Europe will be headlined by Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland and Matt Fitzpatrick - with all four not featuring in the GB&I vs Europe match in Abu Dhabi next month - and the rest of the team will likely come from the Hero Cup.

That means that Westwood, Poulter, Garcia, Casey, McDowell and Kaymer, and even younger LIV Europeans like Sam Horsfield and Laurie Canter, will probably not be teeing it up against Team USA at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club next September.

"You can get a little bit of an idea from the Hero Cup that’s coming up," Donald told the 5 Clubs Podcast on how his team might look.

"First of all it’s a great opportunity to get some younger guys into the team room, playing together and seeing how they bond. This is an important step to bring a matchplay event back to the European schedule.

"There are some great young players. I’m very excited about some of the core players who have started playing well again but there’s a new generation of players who are hungry to make that Ryder Cup."

Donald seemed to confirm that he is hoping to go down a younger route for Rome, with LIV Golf and the DP World Tour, the organisers of Team Europe, currently embroiled in court cases amid golf's new civil war.

"The US team have had a shift where they have gone with younger players with less scar tissue; guys that seem to get on very well. Europe is starting to go through a similar shift," he said.

"A lot of the guys who have been stalwarts are coming towards the end of their careers. I’m not saying they don’t have opportunities to make further Ryder Cups, but it’s becoming less and less likely so we need some of these younger guys to step up and fill some of those holes.”

Tyrrell Hatton, Shane Lowry and GB&I playing captain Tommy Fleetwood are also likely nailed on to feature for Team Europe next year, meaning there could be just five spots left for the younger rookies and returning Ryder Cuppers.

Players like Adrian Meronk, Robert MacIntyre, Seamus Power, Matt Wallace, Jordan Smith, Victor Perez, Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard, Sepp Straka, Guido Migliozzi and Thomas Detry will all be in contention to make their debuts if they have strong showings next year. Returning Ryder Cuppers like Thomas Pieters, Alex Noren and Europe's Hero Cup playing captain Francesco Molinari will also fancy their chances too.

Either way, it seems that the race to make Team Europe will be very competitive next year - and the likelihood of LIV Golf players featuring continues to dwindle.

World No.1 Rory McIlroy will be the figurehead of the side and he has been very vocal in his criticism of LIV and the players who left for the Greg Norman-fronted tour.

“I have said it once, I've said it a hundred times, I don't think any of those guys should be on the Ryder Cup team," the Northern Irishman said of LIV Golf players ahead of September's Italian Open.

"I think we were in need of a rebuild, anyway. We did well with the same guys for a very long time but again as I just said, everything comes to an end at some point. I think Whistling Straits is a good sort of demarcation, I guess."

HERO CUP TEAMS

CONTINENTAL EUROPE

• Francesco MOLINARI (C)
• Thomas DETRY
• Rasmus HØJGAARD
• Adrian MERONK
• Guido MIGLIOZZI
• Alex NOREN
• Victor PEREZ
• Thomas PIETERS
• Sepp STRAKA
• Player TBC

GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND

• Tommy FLEETWOOD (C)
• Ewen FERGUSON
• Tyrrell HATTON
• Shane LOWRY
• Robert MACINTYRE
• Séamus POWER
• Callum SHINKWIN
• Jordan SMITH
• Matt WALLACE
• Player TBC

Looking for the perfect gift for the festive season? Check out the best Christmas Golf Gift Ideas