Players who chose to move to LIV Golf were rewarded with an incredible payday, but they did also have to make some concessions by abandoning the traditional tours.
Not only were they all but guaranteed to tumble down the world rankings and potentially miss out on competing for major championships, but their days as potential Ryder Cup participants were also brought to a close.
The competition between Europe and the USA has long been one of the most prestigious events in the sport, with players from both sides of the Atlantic putting a huge emphasis on qualifying for the their respective teams. However, those who have committed to LIV will no longer be considered for selection.
Of course, that also applies to team captains. Henrik Stenson was set to lead Europe in the 2023 edition, but he was stripped of the captaincy of after moving to the Saudi-backed tour last year. He was replaced by Luke Donald.
Graeme McDowell on LIV Golf & Ryder Cup captaincy
In the previous era of professional golf, Graeme McDowell would have been a prime candidate for the Ryder Cup captaincy over the next few years. A one-time major winner, he represented Europe with distinction on four occasions in the team event. He also acted as a vice-captain under Padraig Harrington in 2021.
However, his chances of doing so were scuppered by his decision to throw his lot in with LIV Golf. The Antrim native was one of the most vocal advocates of the tour in its early days, often to some unintended comedic effect.
McDowell has been praising the virtues of LIV Golf once again this weekend ahead of his appearance at the Asian Tour's International Series event in Oman this week when speaking to TourMiss, saying he is disappointed that he will no longer be considered for Ryder Cup captaincy positions moving forward.
Every European born player that aspires to be a Ryder Cup player, turns into a Ryder Cup player and has represented Europe in a Ryder Cup will tell you it is one of more memorable experiences in their life.
It was one of the factors I considered heavy in making the decision to join LIV that I was walking away from one the chance to be a Ryder Cup vice-captain or captain. And yes, if I am never a part of that ecosystem I would be very disappointed but I will also be very accepting of it, as I have accepted it...
Hopefully, at some point down the line this will all come back together again. It may take six months. It may take six years. I am hoping that is going to be something shorter.
I feel LIV because they've been cast out in the world of golf that they have to plunder on and row their own boat because LIV has so much to offer, and they have such a great team of players and such a compelling product.
A product that I feel has a lot of differentiation to it that can be really beneficial to the fans and the world of golf in general.
Unfortunately for McDowell, it seems that bridge has very much been burned.
Even if courts rule in their favour when it comes to allowing LIV Golf players to take part in DP World Tour events in the future, you'd imagine the European team selection committee would take a rather dim view on any potential captaincy candidates associated with the breakaway tour.
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