Rory McIlroy has long opposed LIV Golf and those behind the rival organisation. So it’s no surprise to hear him say he’s happy not to have them on the European Ryder Cup team.
McIlroy had arguably the best weekend of any golfer at the Ryder Cup. The Northern Irishman appeared in five matches and won 4-1 to give his team four points. Europe defeated 16.5 to 11.5 to win the event.
McIlroy praised several European golfers who have helped the Continental Ryder Cup team over the years but were left out of this year’s team. However, he said he was happy without those LIV golfers.
“They’ve had incredible Ryder Cup careers and they’ve made their choices, they’ve done what they’ve done and no one can take away their impact on the European team in years,” McIlroy said about it.
“But I feel like this week, not having these big personalities in the team room allowed others a chance to grow and shine:
Viktor [Hovland], Jon [Rahm], myself I.
“There wasn’t a lot of space taken up in that room by some of the other big personalities, and I think that helped the rest of the group thrive. It’s a young team. We can all grow together.”
Henrik Stenson was initially tipped to captain the European Ryder Cup, but he was dropped after joining LIV Golf and was later replaced by Luke Donald. Top European golfers such as Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter have been replaced from the Ryder Cup roster
McIlroy seems to believe that these golfers are no longer needed, especially when there is a barrel Younger core coming in.
Besides the success of 34-year-old McIlroy, 28. Rahm and Hovland, 25, Europeans include Nicolai Højgaard, 22, and Ludvig Åberg, 23. McIlroy is the second oldest player on the European team, after Justin Rose, 43 years old.
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