Rory McIlroy says Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood will regret their decision to join the LIV Tour even more during Ryder Cup week.
The tournament between Team Europe and Team USA gets underway at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome on Friday.
"I mean, it's certainly a little strange not having them around," said McIlroy on Wednesday when asked if he misses the trio.
"But I think this week of all weeks, it's going to hit home with them that, you know, they are not here, and I think they are going to miss being here more than we're missing them.
"It's just more I think this week is a realisation that the decision that they made has led to not being a part of this week, and that's tough.
"The landscape in golf is ever-changing and more dynamic, and we'll see what happens and whether they will be part of it in the future.
"I always thought leading up to this week is when it's going to hit home that they are not going to be here."
26 September 2023; Rory McIlroy of Europe is lifted by teammate Shane Lowry alongside Matt Fitzpatrick, left, and Tyrrell Hatton during a team photocall before the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, Italy. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
McIlroy's teammate Justin Rose said that even without the likes of Graeme McDowell, Poulter and Westwood involved, Team Europe still have a "winning culture".
"Luke (Donald) has got an incredible Ryder Cup record," said Rose.
"The most winning from a percentage point of view. So the winning culture in our team is as strong as ever.
"I think that when you look at like in our team room, McGinley, Thomas Björn, like I say, José Maria, we had Monty in there, just people that are still connected to the European Team, and I would say invested in The European Team, there's still a lot of winning culture around what we do.
"So obviously in life and in business and everything, there's obviously transition phases where you need to look to new leaders, and what would be great is if you can kind of slip through that period of transition unaffected, and you know, you start to look to the next generation obviously to come through and to start to kind of have that winning culture.
26 September 2023; Europe players, from left, Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood during a team photocall before the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, Italy. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
"That could happen as early as this year. You start to get the rookies off to a good start this year at home, and suddenly you start to blood some of the future with positive experiences. Yeah, the transition starts, or maybe the transition has started last time around at Whistling Straits, and now we're coming through that already.
But yeah, there is a difference. Obviously Westy, Poults, I know exactly the guys you're talking about, and obviously as captains or vice captains or however they may or may not be involved in the future, they do have a lot to offer, of course, from experiences and that point of view.
"But the more we can kind of blood the younger generation coming through, the quicker you're going to kind of skip through that transition phase."
See Also: Shane Lowry Admits He Has Already Been In Tears During Ryder Cup Build-Up In Rome
