Henrik Stenson was Wednesday stripped of the European Ryder Cup captaincy, with the Swede understood to be on the verge of becoming a member of the Saudi-funded insurgent LIV Golf sequence. Following talks with Ryder Cup Europe officers, the choice was made to successfully sack the 46-year-old as skipper of the staff for the occasion in Italy subsequent yr. The transfer will deepen the rifts within the sport, with a rising variety of huge stars defecting to the cash-rich new circuit in defiance of the established excursions.
Ryder Cup Europe stated in an announcement that Stenson’s tenure as skipper for the biennial competitors towards the USA in Rome had been dropped at an finish “with speedy impact”.
“In gentle of choices made by Henrik in relation to his private circumstances, it has turn out to be clear that he will be unable to fulfil sure contractual obligations to Ryder Cup Europe,” it stated.
The assertion added that affirmation of a brand new captain for the 2023 event could be made in “due course”. Stenson is reportedly on the verge of becoming a member of fellow Ryder Cup stars Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia in leaping ship to the LIV sequence.
The US staff subsequent yr seems to be prone to be with out gamers of the calibre of Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed and Bryson DeChambeau, who’ve all been hit with indefinite bans by the PGA Tour and can due to this fact be ineligible to play.
Stenson, the 2016 British Open champion, reached a profession excessive of quantity two on the earth however has since slumped to 171 within the rankings.
His appointment as skipper of Workforce Europe in March had appeared to finish hypothesis about his involvement within the Saudi-backed breakaway sequence as he insisted he was totally dedicated to the function.
However after lacking the minimize ultimately week’s British Open, Stenson admitted his upcoming schedule was “undecided”.
His anticipated defection to the LIV sequence can be a contemporary headache for the prevailing excursions, which have been powerless to forestall big-name gamers equivalent to Phil Mickelson and Johnson from becoming a member of the insurgent circuit.
European gamers should be members of the DP World Tour, previously generally known as the European Tour, to be eligible to compete for Workforce Europe within the Ryder Cup.
The tour final month banned members who performed within the inaugural LIV occasion in England for 3 tournaments and hit them with a heavy wonderful.
Trump plea
Donald Trump on Monday urged golfers to “take the cash” and signal with LIV Golf. The previous US president, who’s internet hosting LIV occasions at two of his golf programs this yr, stated in a publish on his Reality Social community that gamers mustn’t hesitate to desert the US PGA Tour, which he branded “disloyal”. LIV Golf, which is fronted by Australian nice Greg Norman, is bankrolled by Saudi Arabia’s Public Funding Fund.
Human Rights teams have criticised the enterprise, saying it’s getting used to spice up Saudi Arabia’s worldwide status, a phenomenon labelled “sportswashing”.
The third 54-hole LIV occasion of the season will tee off at Trump Nationwide Golf Membership Bedminster, New Jersey, on July 29. The sphere for the event consists of England’s former world quantity three Paul Casey, who can be within the area alongside 10 main champions.
Former Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama has been linked with a transfer to LIV Golf, with three extra signings to be named within the coming days. Europe can be aiming to wrestle again the Ryder Cup from the USA when the 2 groups meet on the Marco Simone Golf and Nation Membership from September 29 subsequent yr.
Potential substitute captains embrace Thomas Bjorn, who led Europe to victory in France in 2018, and England’s Luke Donald.
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