Some of Europe’s greatest Ryder Cup players face exclusion from the event and the DP World Tour after losing their arbitration case.
Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia are being threatened with fines and suspensions from the Tour if they continue with LIV Golf or having to rescind their DP World Tour membership.
Doing so would end their Ryder Cup careers. While neither of that trio looked likely to feature as a player for Luke Donald in Rome later this year, it would end their hopes of a future captaincy role.
Sports Resolutions deemed in a ruling — set to be made public on Thursday as the Masters tees off in Augusta — that the DP World Tour were correct to suspend and fine Tour players who joined LIV Golf without obtaining a release.
Asked about the leaked decision, Rory McIlroy said: “If that is the outcome, it certainly changes the dynamic of everything. I’m not a lawyer but, if the arbitration panel think that’s the right decision, then I have to go by what they say.”
The DP World Tour had put sanctions on hold following appeals by Poulter, Adrian Otaegui and Justin Harding, but the panel upheld their decision to hand out fines and suspensions, and backed them to do so in the future.
Westwood said he had been informed of the decision by text yesterday and told the Telegraph: “I am going to wait for the official announcement and then take stock.”
