Ian Poulter insists he will not follow in the footsteps of LIV golf star Sergio Garcia in his bid to qualify for next year's Ryder Cup. This month, the Spaniard confirmed his intention to resolve all DP World Tour fines in order to qualify for the Bethpage team event, where the European team achieved success on American soil for the first time since 2012.
Key to the success that became known as the “Miracle of Medina” was Poulter, who won all four games as the visitors staged a stunning comeback from 10-6 down on the final day.
However, it once looked certain that he would one day be named captain, but his controversial move to join the Saudi-backed tour has soured relations between the Briton and European golf bosses.
The 48-year-old has struck a bellicose tone since he first joined the rebellion in June 2022, dismissing criticism of his decisions and accusing the status quo of imposing unfair sanctions. He now says that, unlike Garcia, he is not prepared to accept a financial penalty just to add to his Ryder Cup legacy.
“He has paid a fine worth $1 million (£780,000),” he told reporters. sports illustrated. “He will play 14 LIV events next year, five of which are fined $100,000 (£80,000) a week, so it will cost him $2.4m (£1.9m) to give him the freedom of opportunity. To build a team Team, we spent a lot of money.”
Despite confirming his fine will be covered by LIV's compensation policy, the former world number five argued his decision was based on principle. And his status doesn't appear to be tied up any time soon.
He said: “As it stands I'm not currently on the European Tour so I'm not eligible to be captain or vice-captain, so until that position changes you can only really play the what-if game of how do I get to that point? Up to that moment, I really felt it.
“I personally wouldn't pay because I feel like it's unfair to be fined $100,000 a week at that time because it just doesn't make sense to me,” he added. “My position has never changed. I have played golf all over the world. When I played outside of Europe on other tours around the world, I never paid a fine, so my position is exactly the same as it was three years ago. ”
Either way, Poulter's form since the jump means the chances of being drafted next September are slim to none. He ranks 37th in the LIV individual standings this season, behind veteran Lee Westwood, and is still waiting for his first Tour victory.
By contrast, Garcia finished third and was only denied the title by compatriot Jon Rahm and Chilean Joaquín Niemann. But Poulter still expressed doubts about the 44-year-old's ability to qualify for the Ryder Cup.
“To be honest, I haven't spoken to Luke Donald (Europe captain) yet,” he admitted. “I don't know if Luke has spoken to Sergio in detail. I don't know how many games he plans to play in Europe, so I guess we'll have to wait and see.”