{"id":26499,"date":"2022-06-09T10:54:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-09T14:54:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=26499"},"modified":"2022-06-10T10:57:09","modified_gmt":"2022-06-10T14:57:09","slug":"mcilroy-hopes-liv-invitational-players-can-still-take-part-in-ryder-cup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=26499","title":{"rendered":"McIlroy Hopes LIV Invitational Players Can Still Take Part In Ryder Cup"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy (PA Archive\/PA Images)
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Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy hopes European team-mates Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood can still be involved in the Ryder Cup despite opting to take \u201cboatloads of cash\u201d from the LIV Golf Invitational Series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Northern Irishman\u2019s opposition to the Saudi-backed events has been very public and long-standing and while the breakaway has created some friction with the PGA and DP World Tours the world number eight is hopeful it will not impact the biennial contest with the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, I think they should be able to (feature in the Ryder Cup). They\u2019ve been such a part of the Ryder Cup and look at the history Poults has at the Ryder Cup,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt would be such a shame for him not to be involved going forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard because they are playing in defiance of the Tour but I think everyone needs to get in a room and figure it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI feel like the professional game was on a nice trajectory where everything was becoming more cohesive and now it\u2019s becoming more fractured again and I don\u2019t think that\u2019s a good thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McIlroy was quick to distance himself from the LIV Golf series, with Hertfordshire\u2019s Centurion Club hosting the inaugural event over the next three days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But while he did not want to criticize the players involved he believes some have taken a short-term view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think my stance on it has been pretty clear from the start,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not something that I want to participate in. I\u2019m certainly not knocking anyone for going. It\u2019s their life, it\u2019s their decision, they can live it the way they want to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut for me I want to play on the PGA Tour against the best players in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe all know why everyone\u2019s playing in London this week, it\u2019s boatloads of cash and it\u2019s money up front and I get it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think they\u2019re thinking very short-term. Some of these guys are younger than me and have their whole careers ahead of them. That\u2019s the thing I don\u2019t get.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phil Mickelson has refused to confirm or deny if he has been banned or suspended by the PGA Tour for his involvement in the LIV Golf Invitational Series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mickelson has not competed since February\u2019s Saudi International

buy generic levitra<\/a><\/div> , missing the Masters and his title defense in the US PGA Championship following the fallout from his explosive comments about Saudi Arabia and the PGA Tour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The six-time major winner described the Saudis as \u201cscary m************\u201d and said he was well aware of Saudi Arabia\u2019s \u201chorrible record on human rights\u201d \u2013 including the murder of Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi \u2013 in an interview with the author of an unauthorized biography.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet he added that working with the Saudis was a \u201conce-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates\u201d\u2019 and also accused the Tour of \u201cobnoxious greed\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 51-year-old\u2019s lengthy absence led to speculation that he had been suspended but when asked to comment he said: \u201cI choose not to speak publicly on PGA Tour issues at this time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also declined to confirm if he was receiving $200million (\u00a3159.5m) to compete in the LIV Golf events, but his answer indicated that the reported amount may well be accurate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI feel that contract agreements should be private,\u201d Mickelson added. \u201cDoesn\u2019t seem to be the case, but it should be.\u201d<\/p>\n

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