Colin Montgomerie says that Ryder Cup legends who have joined LIV "knew the consequences" prior to joining the Saudi-backed start-up league.
The golf world has been turned upside down since LIV's arrival on the scene last year, with the likes of Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia now all out of the Ryder Cup frame after resigning their DP World Tour memberships.
It means that Poulter won't be captaining at Bethpage in 2025, Ryder Cup record points scorer Garcia will never lead Team Europe and neither will Westwood. Europe's winning 2010 skipper Colin Montgomerie says that the trio knew the consequences before they joined LIV, said they took money over legacy and can't have their cake and eat it too.
"Well right now, it’s not feasible legally for them," the Scot told Golfweek's Adam Schupak.
"They’ve got to resign the memberships now or pay a heavy fine. So you got to be a member of the tour to be a Ryder Cup captain. They knew the consequences of joining in the first place, they knew that this might take place depending on what went on in the courts. And it favored the European Tour so it’s gone against them that way.
"They knew the consequences – money against legacy, in many ways and they chose the former and hey, good luck to them but you can’t have it both ways. You can’t have your cake and eat it too.
"You can’t expect to do that and then lobby Ryder Cup captain this week and I’ll go to LIV the next week. It doesn’t work that way. You know you pay your penalties. It is a shame we’ve lost a few good captains in Henrik, Westwood, Graeme McDowell, probably, you know, but at the same time, there’s more opportunity for others to take their place."
The eight-time European Tour Order of Merit winner also admitted that there's talk on the PGA Tour Champions from players wishing there was an over-50s LIV team.
"You know, there’s talk on our Champions tour, which, you know, some of them are saying 'I wish LIV had a Champions tour four-ball, name a team or name a couple of teams of seniors', I think a number of them would have jumped ship, I’m sure with the money on offer.
"But myself, I’m very happy with what I’m doing right now. That’s a hypothetical question. So you can’t really answer it. But at the same time, a few of them I’m sure would have said yes."
Montgomerie, who won 31 titles on the European Tour, is in favor of the DP World Tour's strategic alliance with the PGA Tour amid many critics who are calling it a feeder tour and questioning whether the European circuit is getting the raw side of the deal.
"It has benefited the European Tour tremendously," he said.
"To think that anyone in the top 10 of the money list at the end of the year is going to get a PGA Tour card, I mean, my goodness, is that a bonus?
"It’s helped in the Scottish Open and it’s helped in a number of other events to make them sort of world events. They were Rolex Series events at the time, but now they are world events and it’s really helped the European Tour grow a lot stronger, which we needed.
"Economically, we can’t compete with the American tour. We need the strength of the PGA Tour to help us out and they have indeed."
