European Ryder Cup Legends Quit DP World Tour

SERGIO Garcia, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood have officially ruled themselves out of the running for this year’s Ryder Cup after resigning from the DP World Tour.

The three veterans, along with Richard Bland, had been sanctioned for breaking tour rules after joining breakaway tour LIV Golf. Bland has also resigned.

And they now say that they have "no option" given punishments being imposed after they joined the Saudi Arabia-funded tour.

It is a sad day for European golf and means that Garcia, the all-time record points scorer, Poulter and Westwood will no longer be part of the event. Westwood played in a record 11 matches.

In a statement, the DP World Tour confirmed the resignations saying they had been "sanctioned for serious breaches of the tour's conflicting tournament regulations."

The players were hit with £100,000 fines for playing in LIV's opening tournament at the Centurion Club in Hertfordshire last June. They lost an appeal held by the arbitration service Sport Resolutions and had until 3 May to pay their fines.

The DP World Tour thanked the players for the contribution they have made, adding: "In particular Sergio, Ian and Lee for the significant part they have played in Europe's success in the Ryder Cup over many years."

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

However, the DP World Tour statement had little sympathy for the golfers.

It said: "The resignations, however, along with the sanctions imposed upon them, are a consequence of their own choice.

"As we have consistently maintained throughout the past year, the tour has a responsibility to its entire membership to administer the member regulations which each player signs up to.

"These regulations are in place to protect the collective interests of all DP World Tour members."

Under the tour's rules the players cannot serve as future captains or vice captains. Westwood, Poulter and Garcia were seen as certainties to lead Europe in future Ryder Cups until they defected to LIV.