Ryder Cup 2023: Bernard Gallacher says US harder hit over LIV Golf factor in Rome

Winning Ryder Cup captain Bernard Gallacher reckons the American have suffered a bigger impact than Europe for the 44th Ryder Cup through certain players missing out on the back of the launch of LIV Golf last year.

The line ups for both teams at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome are markedly different to the line ups for the 2021 clash that produced a 19-9 victory for Steve Stricker’s US side over the Europeans led by Padraig Harrington.

Sergio Garcia, the all-time record points scorer in the biennial event, is missing from the European ranks along with Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter after they effectively deemed themselves ineligible after resigning as DP World Tour members over sanctions imposed on players who competed in LIV Golf events last year without an official release.

The Americans, meanwhile, are minus the likes of Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed after they failed came up short in the qualifying battle then failed to secure a pick along with Brooks Koepka from captain Zach Johnson.

Brooks Koepka waits for the US team official team portraits ahead of the 44th Ryder Cup at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome. Picture: Andreas Solaro/AFP via Getty Images.

“Oh, I do. Oh, I mean big time,” said Gallacher of believing the Americans have been hit more than their opponents. “They haven’t talked about it much, but there are two key guys who played last time who aren’t playing this time.

“I mean, Dustin Johnson got five points out of five at Whistling Straits while Bryson DeChambeau was undefeated. They are two big players and that’s without even considering someone they used to call ‘Captain America’ in Patrick Reed. These two players would have given them a lot of po

ints and I think it’s a big bonus for Europe that they aren’t playing.”

Garcia made a late attempt to be considered for one of Luke Donald’s six picks by offering to cough up his DP World Tour fines only to be told he’d scuppered that possibility by no longer being a member.

“I’d put Sergio in the same camp as Dustin Johnson,” added Gallacher, who tasted victory in the 1995 match at Oak Hill. “He’s a big miss and even Jon Rahm said that. Reading between the lines, he’d have wanted him to play alongside him. It would have been an easy decision putting the Spaniards together as it’s a country thing the way they pull together. It would have been a case of them saying ‘we’ll do what Seve [Ballesteros] and [Jose Maria] Olazabal used to do’.

“From the point of view of Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter, we don’t really know how well they are playing and, of course, you wouldn’t want to put anyone into a Ryder Cup if they aren’t playing well. But you’d have wanted them around, really, as vice captains in the team room.

“If I was a captain, you’d want Ian Poulter helping you for what he’s brought to it in terms of passion and inspiration. Olazabal has given inspirational chats in the past and you would imagine Ian Poulter would be very good at that, too.

“But, purely from a playing point of view, I think the Americans are missing out more as a result of the LIV Golf factor for this match.”