Sir Nick Faldo believes that all LIV golfers should be banned from competing in the Ryder Cup. The former European Ryder Cup Captain feels that any LIV Golf players should be prohibited from selection and should be nowhere near the Ryder Cup.
No LIV Golfers At Ryder Cup – Faldo
The LIV Golf Invitational Series continues to cause havoc and controversy in the world of golf. One person who is very much against the Saudi-funded competition is Sir Nick Faldo. The former European Ryder Cup Captain believes any LIV players should be banned from competing or captaining at the Ryder Cup.
Looking at the Ryder Cup from a European perspective, Faldo believes that any golfer who has joined LIV Golf should have no further involvement at all with the Ryder Cup. Whether that be in a playing or captaining capacity.
Plenty of European Ryder Cup stalwarts have joined LIV Golf in the past year. The likes of Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia, Graham McDowell and Martin Kaymer have all defected to LIV.
In an interview this week with Sky Sports News, Faldo expressed anger that these players have burned their bridges when it comes to the biennial event:
“They shouldn’t be there because they’ve gone off and you’ve got to move on.
“They’re all at the age where Europe needs to find a new breed of 25-year-olds that can play half a dozen or more Ryder Cups, and I think we’re going to have that.”
Henrick Stenson was originally selected to be the European Ryder Cup Captain for the 2023 event in Rome. However, following his move from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf, he was stripped of his captaincy and Luke Donald was selected instead.
It is unlikely that any LIV golfer will be involved in the Ryder Cup in a playing capacity due to the fact they won’t be able to earn the requisite points needed to qualify for Donald’s team. Faldo, a veteran of eleven Ryder Cups, feels any player who has switched their allegiances to LIV has also now sacrificed the opportunity of being a captain or vice-captain in the future for Europe.
“They’re done,” he said. “It’s a rival tour. If you work for a company for 20 years and you then leave to go to a rival company, I can promise you your picture won’t still be on the wall. You’ve moved on. Fine, off you go.
“They’ve made that decision and I’m sure they knew it was going to cost them. They were playing the maths game. They were getting a huge chunk of money up front, and they knew it was going to lose them sponsors, but they thought ‘I still win’.”
LIV Golf ‘Meaningless’ and Doesn’t Help Grow The Sport – Faldo
The Englishman didn’t pull any punches when it came to talking about LIV Golf. The six-time major champion has branded the LIV Golf Invitational Series ‘meaningless’, with no interest in growing the sport.
LIV Golf is of course fronted by Greg Norman – a long-term rival of Faldo’s from competing against each other for years back in the 80s and 90s. The three-time Masters champion feels that LIV Golf is purely antagonistic to the existing tours and has no interest in growing golf as a sport around the world:
“It’s a closed shop: 48 guys given loads of money,” Faldo said. “What gripes me is it’s not growing the game of golf. That really gets me when they fly across the world to a country that’s been playing golf for 100 plus years and say, ‘we’re growing the game of golf’.
“If they keep saying they want to grow the game of golf, go and take it to new regions. Countries in the early days of being interested in golf now. Try that rather than just trying to antagonise everybody.
“Whatever they want to do, go and do it. Let these youngsters play what we deem is real, competitive golf. Once you’ve decided to retire, disappear, move on, or go to another job. No one’s going to talk about you, so just go and do your thing and get on with it.”
Team America are the overriding favourites with the best sports betting sites to retain the Ryder Cup. Europe are 15/8 underdogs to win the Ryder Cup with the best UK sports betting apps.
Other Content You May Like
- Best Golf Betting Sites – Your guide to the best sportsbooks to bet on golf.
- Free Betting Tips – Exclusive betting tips for various sports completely free of charge.
- Golf Free Bets – Work out all of your best sports free bets today.
- Best eSports Betting Sites – Your guide to the best eSports betting sites in the UK.
- Exclusive Cash Out Betting Sites – Best cash-out betting sites from various UK bookmakers.
- Best Betting Apps – Your guide to the best betting apps in the UK.
- Best UK Sports Streaming Sites – Best sites that you can stream sports in the UK.
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
