LIV golfers hoping to make their way into Europe's Ryder Cup team for the 2023 event in Rome have been dealt a blow, after the hosts announced changes to their selection process.
A number of Europe's legendary stars - including Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter - made the controversial move to the LIV Series this summer, putting their Ryder Cup chances - and reputation - on the line.
As it stands players who have defected to the Saudi-backed series are still eligible to qualify for the team event, despite initial warnings that they were banned. However, if their eligibility is still in tact come selection time it has just got a whole lot harder for the rebels to qualify.
The increase in wildcard spots leaves the chances of LIV players hoping to make the final 12 spots slim. With half the team made up of Donald's six selections, the other half is made up of the top three from the world points list and the top three from the European points list.
With not one player in the world's top 30, and the Saudi-funded series still yet to earn Official World Golf Ranking status, the European LIV members will find it a real challenge to qualify through the world points system.
The same can be said with the European list. With the series expanding to 14 events for 2023, the chances of the defectors playing enough DP World Tour events to amass enough European points seems slim.
This comes after Team Europe announced their qualification process - which will kick off at the BMW PGA Championship next week - with newly appointed captain Luke Donald being given six wildcard selections, the most of any European skipper in the event's history.
This leaves their best chance of being selected through the captain's six wildcards, but with the powers of European golf strongly against LIV, Donald will no doubt be expected to tow the party line in snubbing Poulter and co. It is not just the game's chiefs that have turned their back on the Saudi defectors, with Europe's main man Rory McIlroy often speaking out against the LIV switchers - which includes a number of his long-standing Ryder Cup teammates.
Controversially, 18 LIV Golf members have entered to play in the DP World Tour's flagship event at Wentworth next week, and McIlroy has revealed the thought of sharing the course with them is 'hard to stomach'. He said: "It's going to be hard for me to stomach going to Wentworth and seeing 18 of them there. That just doesn't sit right with me.
"So yes, I feel strongly. I believe what I'm saying are the right things, and I think when you believe that what you're saying is the right things, you're happy to stick your neck out on the line."
