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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Michael Turnbull

Graeme McDowell says DP Tour would be 'foolish' to rule out European LIV players for Ryder Cup

Graeme McDowell believes the DP World Tour would look 'foolish' if European players from the LIV Golf series are not considered for this year's Ryder Cup.

The comments come as American LIV participants remain eligible to compete due to their membership of the PGA of America. This means that European LIV players Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood, who have played 28 Ryder Cups between them, are ineligible for this year's staging having resigned from the DP World Tour in May.

"To ignore LIV because of politics when the US have those players in their side doesn't make any sense," former Europe vice-captain McDowell, who plays for the Saudi-backed circuit, told the BBC.

READ MORE: Shane Lowry back in Ireland as he ramps up preparation for The Open

"It makes Europe's tour look foolish.

"I hope that if one of the European players at LIV puts in a summer deserving of a spot on the Ryder Cup side that the landscape would be available for that to happen."

The annoucement of the PGA, DP Tour and LIV merger in early June sent shockwaves around the sporting world. 2011 US open winner McDowell, also called for Europe's all-time record points scorer Sergio Garcia to be reinstated.

I think Sergio Garcia is probably the lead guy right now and the European team room would be better with a Sergio Garcia in it," McDowell said.

"I read the stuff with him and Rory McIlroy (resolving their differences) and I'm super happy that those guys have moved on from stuff that shouldn't have come between them - politics and business.

"I'd love to see them walking down a fairway in Rome, winning a foursomes match together. I think that's what every European Ryder Cup fan wants."

The 44th edition of the Ryder Cup takes place in late September in Rome.

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