Rose says Ryder Cup will not be ‘devalued’ if LIV players banned

LONDON: Justin Rose said he does not believe the Ryder Cup will be “devalued” if LIV Golf players are prevented from competing at this year’s event in Rome.

American golfers who joined the Saudi-funded circuit are ineligible to play in the tournament, which pits the United States against Europe every two years.

The make-up of the European team hinges on this week’s arbitration hearing in London, which will decide whether players signed up to LIV Golf can play on the DP World Tour, formerly known as the European Tour.

Rose, whose victory in the US PGA Tour’s Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Monday boosted his chances of making a sixth Ryder Cup appearance, told the BBC: “There is so much strength in depth, I don’t think it will be devalued.

“People like watching Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter (who are all signed up to LIV Golf). They bring a lot of passion. They will be missed, for sure, but it is what it is.

“You have the powers that be, the traditional people who kind of still have control of golf, and you have an upstart league which is trying to bring in a fresh idea and rival product.

“It’s all good either way, it’s just can both fit together in this scenario?”

The emergence of LIV Golf has caused a deep rift in the professional game, with Rory McIlroy detailing how his previously close friendship with Sergio Garcia has broken down.

However, Rose has remained friends with players including Poulter and Henrik Stenson, who was stripped of the Ryder Cup captaincy after joining LIV.

“Everyone can make their own decision -- I do not think badly of them for doing that and they are still my mates,” said the former US Open champion.

“There are going to be consequences to that decision and obviously the rulings will determine whether that is good or bad for them.

“One good thing from a Ryder Cup point of view is this decision will be done early enough and whatever the outcome, there’s time for relationships to heal. Clarity is what most of us want.”