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European Ryder Cup team captain Luke Donald recently announced Nicolas Colsaerts as his third Vice Captain for the 2023 edition of the international event. Colsaerts, who is the first-ever Belgian to be a part of a Ryder Cup team, happily accepted the role as well. Now, the golfer has come out to state that he wants LIV Golf players on his team as well.
Colsaerts became part of the Ryder Cup team leadership after spending a large part of 2022 at the hospital with a rare kidney condition. However, the golfer doesn’t seem to be any low on confidence closing in on the event. Speaking about the event, the Belgian golfer said that he wanted “12 best Europeans” on his side and that required LIV golfers as well. He even dubbed the possibility of the Saudi-backed series’ players missing the event as a “huge loss.”
Speaking in an interview with The Times, Nicolas Colsaerts said:
“There’s a part of me that wants the 12 best Europeans to represent Europe just because of the history. It’s a huge loss for the quality of the event. I don’t know what decision is going to be taken, but regardless of what side of the fence you’re on, the biggest loser is the spirit of the Ryder Cup. It’s a bit of a stain, let’s say.”
It is pertinent to note that LIV players are unlikely to feature in the Ryder Cup. Players like Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, and Lee Westwood are expected to stay out of the upcoming edition of the international event due to their association with the Saudi-backed series.
Earlier, European skipper Luke Donald hinted that the LIV players’ Ryder Cup days were over and that he could in turn use the opportunity to include “younger players” in his squad. Interestingly, Colsaerts raised two-way concerns over the decision.
The 40-year-old further said:
“They had preferential treatment for however many years and now someone else comes knocking, and you go over there but still want the same treatment here. That doesn’t sit well with me.
"It’s always difficult to hear somebody criticizing something you have a strong affectionate relationship with. In my case, [the criticism] just hurts. Loads of people are still happy to see them play, and people will pay to watch them, but you can feel the atmosphere is different unfortunately and it’s really sad.”
Colsaerts content with Ryder Cup vice-captaincy role
Despite contradicting opinions from his captain Luke Donald, Nicolas Colsaerts seems happy to take up the vice-captaincy role. The golfer, who has criticized LIV Golf in the past, said that the new role in the European squad has given him the motivation he needs to revive his career after being out for a brief period.
The Belgian golfer said:
“Let’s face it, I just turned 40, I’m at the back-end of my career, and you start asking yourself how long you have left. I was at the end of a bad cycle, I was struggling to find motivation, and then this thing falls out of the sky. Luke asking me now, it’s been like a kick in the butt. Not to sound pitiful but, when you’re low, you’re just hoping for a hand, you want to be able to grab something and I feel like this is what I was waiting for.”
The Ryder Cup is set to start on September 29, 2023. The event, held at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Italy, will see the European team take on a strong US side. As talks continue, fans will have to wait and see if LIV golfers are included in the final squads for the international event.
