Rory McIlroy has reiterated his belief that LIV Golf players should not be part of the Ryder Cup next year.
The No 2 player in the world, who finished in a tie for second with Jon Rahm behind Shane Lowry last week at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, has been speaking ahead of this week’s Italian Open.
The DP World Tour event is being held at the host of next year’s 2023 Ryder Cup, Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome.
And McIlroy has not only repeated his stance that LIV Golf players such as Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia should be frozen out, but also hopes captain Luke Donald will pursue younger players to spark a new era for European golf after a 19-9 humbling at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin last year.
“I have said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times, I don’t think any of those guys should be on the Ryder Cup team,” McIlroy said. “I think we were in need of a rebuild, anyway.
“We did well with the same guys for a very long time but again as I just said, everything comes to an end at some point. I think Whistling Straits is a good sort of demarcation, I guess.
“I think the European Team has a core of six or seven guys that I think we all know are pretty much going to be on that team, and then it’s up to some of the younger guys to maybe step up.
“You’ve got your core there with experience in the Ryder Cup and played in a few, so I think you’re looking for some of these younger guys over the next 12 months to step up and put their hand up for a possible pick.
“We have got a core group of guys but let’s build on that again, and instead of filling those three or four spots with older veterans, let’s blood some rookies and let’s get them in and build towards the future. I think that’s important.”
McIlroy also admitted the leaderboard at Wentworth provided extra motivation when noticing LIV Golf players were positioned above him.
“The leaderboard at Wentworth last week at about 2pm on Sunday was looking pretty grim if you were in a position that I hold,” McIlroy added, with his final position just a shot ahead of Talor Gooch, with Patrick Reed‘s joint-fifth finish at 14-under also noticed.
“That probably gave me some extra motivation and a few other guys on the leaderboard to get past that 14-under mark. It’s a weird time in golf, and hopefully over the next couple years we can resolve it in some sort of way.”
