New Europe Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald brushed aside Henrik Stenson’s controversial move to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf by declaring his intentions to lead the continent in Rome next year.
The lucrative series, which is funded by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, has divided golf with the PGA and DP World Tours fractured after the new series poached some of the sports biggest names. Several of the world’s most prominent players have decided to switch to LIV Golf, including the likes of Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, and Dustin Johnson.
In March, Stenson signed a contract that stipulated he could not play in the breakaway league but Ian Poulter’s recent court case led to an injunction to allow the Englishman to play in the Scottish Open - which suggested Stenson could be able to play both. However, it was revealed that the 46-year-old was set to complete a dramatic move to LIV Golf and it is understood Stenson’s signing-on fee was around £40 million.
