Ryder Cup captain rule he didn't know stopped Rory McIlroy from quitting tour
Ryder Cup captain rule he didn't know stopped Rory McIlroy from quitting tour
Kylee HansenWed, November 4, 2026 at 3:13 PM UTC
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Rory McIlroy has been the face of the PGA and DP World Tour's since LIV Golf burst onto the scene -Credit:Getty Images (Getty Images)
Rory McIlroy nearly gave up his DP World Tour membership due to living in the United States but a rule regarding his involvement with the Ryder Cup stopped him.
McIlroy's comments come to light as many LIV Golf stars announce their desire to return to the DP World Tour. Ian Poulter is officially leaving LIV Golf, and said in February that he would love to be a part of the European Ryder Cup setup again in the future,
Poulter joined LIV Golf in June 2022 alongside Graeme McDowell, Sergio Garcia, and many others and the DP World Tour has strict rules regarding who would be allowed to captain or co-captain a Ryder Cup team.
A DP World Tour regulation was established in January 2017. Introduced prior to the emergence of LIV Golf, the rule aimed to safeguard the integrity of the European Tour.
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"Players cannot be a European Ryder Cup captain or a vice-captain if they decline membership of the European Tour or fail to fulfill their minimum event obligation in any season,” the rulebook states.
McIlroy, unaware of the rule in years prior, nearly lost his opportunity to lead a European Ryder Cup team to victory as a captain.
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Rory McIlroy is competing in the DP World Tour playoffs in Abu Dhabi -Credit:Getty Images
“I nearly fell afoul of that rule,” said McIlroy at the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship.
McIlroy was going to give up his DP World Tour membership in 2019, as he had a chat with former CEO Keith Pelley at the time.
“I said, ‘Look, you know, based in America. I want to focus over there for a bit,’” McIlroy said. “Keith said to me, ‘Totally fine but you do know if you give up your membership or you resign your membership, you can't be a captain or vice captain of the Ryder Cup in the future.’
“And I was like, ‘Well, I'm not going to do that then.’”
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McIlroy, wanting to eventually be a Ryder Cup captain, noted that his choice had nothing to do with the fact that LIV Golf had been an option for him.
“I've had that, I guess, thought in my mind at one point as well, and it wasn't even about LIV,” said McIlroy.
“It was just about feeling like maybe I was spread too thin and trying to play here, there and everywhere. But everyone knows that rule, and everyone knows that if you abdicate your membership, that's the consequence.”
Source: “AOL Sports”
