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Ian Poulter has put his personal Ryder Cup frustration behind him by sending a message of congratulations to the European Team following their emphatic triumph against the USA in Rome on Sunday.
Luke Donald’s team looked dialled in as they recorded a superb 16.5-11.5 victory which included a stunning 4-0 whitewash in the morning foursomes session of the first day.
They did it all without Poulter, who so often has been the talisman of the European side. But following his defection to the LIV Golf tour and subsequent resignation from the DP World Tour, the 47-year-old rendered himself ineligible for selection.
It meant that this year’s European team had a different look to it, with fellow LIV rebels Lee Westwood and the Ryder Cup’s all-time highest points scorer Sergio Garcia also ineligible.
But whilst Poulter was prepared to turn his back on the PGA and DP World tours to chase a lucrative new adventure with LIV, his affinity to the Ryder Cup remains as strong as ever.
Posting on Instagram, Poulter wrote: “I couldn’t be more proud to see this great team win back the Ryder Cup. You just don’t see emotion like it at any other event. Enjoy the night lads and congratulations.”
Poulter’s 15-8-2 record at the Ryder Cup includes an undefeated 6-0-1 record in singles matches. The feat earned him the nickname ‘The Postman’ from his teammates because he always delivers a point for the team on a Sunday.
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His resignation from the DP World tour and his age puts a huge question mark over whether he will ever be seen at a Ryder Cup again but if it was down to Poulter himself, he would most certainly be back in some form of capacity, whether it was playing or otherwise.
In July, he told GQ Magazine: “Hopefully, going forward, I can be part of a team at some stage. Maybe not playing, but if I can help to captain or vice-captain – or just be there for the young guys that need a bit of support, because they’re big, stressful weeks. They’re very demanding.”
Whilst Team Europe ruled that all LIV players were effectively ineligible for selection at the 2023 Ryder Cup, Team USA’s rules weren’t quite as formal. That ensured that USA PGA Champion Brooks Koepka could be included in Zach Johnson’s team even though he is also a defector to LIV. He was the only player from the breakaway tour to feature in either the USA or European sides.
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