Lee Westwood says what Europe’s Ryder Cup team asked him to do in Valderrama last week made him laugh

Add as preferred source on Google

There is surely no question at all that the formation of LIV Golf hit the DP World Tour a lot harder than the PGA Tour, with many legendary figures of European golf deciding to jump ship.

While the PGA Tour did lose the likes of Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau in 2022, they still had the star power to carry on, and eventually thrive. Meanwhile, the DP World Tour has arguably fallen to a comfortable third in the pecking order over the last three years.

Losing the likes of Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood was a huge setback for the European Tour. And it had a big impact on the future of the European Ryder Cup team.

Previously, it seemed that Team Europe had a long line of captains waiting in the wings. In fact, there were potentially too many options, with Graeme McDowell and Martin Kaymer writing their names in folklore by sealing decisive points in 2010 and 2012 respectively.

Lee Westwood comments on the chances of being European Ryder Cup captain in the future

But those names all went to LIV. And they ended up being joined by the man named as Europe’s captain for 2023 in Henrik Stenson. Stenson was stripped of the captaincy before his move to LIV was even announced.

There appears to be a chance that Garcia could play on Luke Donald’s team at Bethpage later this year. But the door is seemingly closed for many of his peers, including Westwood.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Westwood admitted that he has all but given up hope of captaining Europe in the future – though he was baffled to be asked to help out as the team prepare for New York in September.

He said: “I would have loved to be Ryder Cup captain, but they have closed that possibility because of LIV. It’s funny in a way as I’ve heard the names of guys who are being lined up and am aware that the only reason they didn’t join LIV is because their numbers were not met and they wanted too much. How does that work?

“Another thing that makes me laugh is that the Tour’s video team were at the LIV event in Valderrama and asked me to do a bit of a motivational bit to camera. I’m banned! And they want me to help them out! I took the moral high ground and did it. But I ask you.”

Lee Westwood’s amazing Ryder Cup record

Unsurprisingly, Westwood has had an incredible Ryder Cup career. He has played on 11 teams and is one of the all-time leading points scorers.

Only Garcia and Sir Nick Faldo have won more than the 24 points Westwood has contributed over the past three decades.

The Englishman was also part of seven winning sides, while he was an assistant captain when Europe won at Le Golf National in 2018.

With Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton surely set to be involved at Bethpage later this year, it does appear that the animosity between the DP World Tour and LIV Golf is starting to subside.

There may still be too much water under the bridge for the likes of Westwood and Poulter to ever get the chance to captain the team. But the last few years in golf have shown that you usually look quite foolish when you rule anything out.