Ian Poulter was not involved at this year’s Ryder Cup, but still had his say as Team Europe recorded an impressive 16.5-11.5 victory over their American rivals in Rome
Ian Poulter sent a message of congratulations to the European Ryder Cup team, after Luke Donald and co reclaimed the title by defeating Team USA in Rome.
Europe secured an impressive 16.5-11.5 win at Marco Simone in the Italian capital, to continue their remarkable run of Ryder Cup form on home soil. It was the perfect response from the Europeans, after they fell to a record-breaking 19-9 defeat at the hands of the U.S. in Wisconsin two years earlier.
One man who was part of the heavy loss at Whistling Straits in 2021 was European stalwart Poulter, but this time around the Ryder Cup legend was forced to watch his continent’s victory from home.
This comes after the Englishman opted to resign his DP World Tour membership after being sanctioned for making a move to LIV Golf last summer. This made Poulter ineligible to compete at Marco Simone this year, alongside the likes of Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia.
Despite a tense year between the Tour and the LIV setup, Poulter’s affinity to the event and his team was clear to see, as he wished his former teammates well following their win over Zach Johnson’s American team. Taking to Instagram, the LIV star wrote: “I couldn’t be more proud to see this great team win back the Ryder Cup.
“You just don’t see emotion like it at any other event. Enjoy the night lads and congratulations.” Poulter has often been the man to deliver for the Europeans in the past – being aptly nicknamed ‘The Postman – but his involvement with Team Europe is over for now amid his resignation.
The door appears to have slightly re-opened in recent months though, with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour ending their feud with LIV, with peace talks continuing following a framework agreement announcement in June. Speaking in July, Poulter admitted he is hoping to return to the Ryder Cup in some capacity in the future.
“Hopefully, going forward, I can be part of a team at some stage,” he told GQ. “Maybe not playing, but if I can help to captain or vice captain – or just be there for the young guys that need a bit of support, because they’re big, stressful weeks. They’re very demanding.”