Rahm says he got advice from Sergio, Poulter before Rome

GUIDONIA MONTECELIO, Italy – The impact LIV Golf is having on this year’s Ryder Cup is easier to quantify for the European side.

Gone from this year’s matches are Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Paul Casey, Graeme McDowell and Henrik Stenson (who was removed as European captain after he joined the rival circuit). All were ineligible to compete once they no longer had DP World Tour status.

But the biggest loss for the Continent is Sergio Garcia.

Europe’s all-time leading points winner resigned his European tour membership and despite a reported 11^th-hour attempt to secure a spot on the team, the Spaniard was never considered as a possible captain’s pick.

“He resigned his situation five months ago, and once that happened, he was ineligible for me to even consider him,” European captain Luke Donald said Monday. “I know there was some stories about him trying to pay off some fines and stuff. We know what the DP World Tour rules are, and once you resign, you cannot reapply for membership until the following year.”

Although Garcia’s absence will be felt throughout the team room, it has been particularly acute for Jon Rahm. The Spanish duo was undefeated in team play two years ago at Whistling Straits (3-0-1) and would have been the side’s most obvious pairing.

“[Garcia] did show me a lot of what to do at Whistling and obviously in Paris, as well,” said Rahm, who added that he spoke with Garcia and Poulter before arriving in Rome. “Not that it’s going to be easy to take on the role that those two had both on and off the golf course, but just to hear them talk about what they thought and what they felt is obviously invaluable information.”

With Garcia and Poulter absent, the emotional leadership for the European team now falls to Rahm and Rory McIlroy.

“I don’t think I need to do anything different to what I’ve done in the past. It’s my role to go out there and try to win as much as I can,” Rahm said. “It’s usually the leaders of a team have to go out there and show a little bit more, exactly that, leadership, and getting those points.”

Although U.S. players who had joined LIV Golf were still eligible to play the Ryder Cup via their PGA of America membership, only one, PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka, was selected as a pick by captain Zach Johnson.