Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia representing Team Europe at the 2020 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, Sheboygan, Wisconsin, USA. Reuters
Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia representing Team Europe at the 2020 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, Sheboygan, Wisconsin, USA. Reuters
Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia representing Team Europe at the 2020 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, Sheboygan, Wisconsin, USA. Reuters
Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia representing Team Europe at the 2020 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, Sheboygan, Wisconsin, USA. Reuters

Graeme McDowell wants Ryder Cup eligibility for LIV's European players


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Graeme McDowell said the DP World Tour would look "foolish" if European players from the LIV Golf circuit are not considered for this year's Ryder Cup as their American counterparts remain eligible.

Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood, who have played 28 Ryder Cups between them and are now with the LIV Series, are ineligible for this year's edition of the biennial competition after resigning from the DP World Tour in May.

However, American players who joined the LIV circuit can still qualify for the US team given they are members of the PGA of America.

"To ignore LIV because of politics when the US have those players in their side doesn't make any sense," former Europe vice-captain McDowell, who plays for the Saudi-backed circuit, told the BBC. "It makes Europe's tour look foolish.

"I hope that if one of the European players at LIV puts in a summer deserving of a spot on the Ryder Cup side that the landscape would be available for that to happen."

The PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Saudi-backed LIV circuit announced a shock merger in early June to to form a for-profit entity.

Northern Ireland's McDowell, a former US Open champion who was on the winning team in three of his four Ryder Cup appearances, also called for Europe's all-time record points scorer Garcia to be reinstated.

"I think Sergio Garcia is probably the lead guy right now and the European team room would be better with a Sergio Garcia in it," McDowell said.

"I read the stuff with him and Rory McIlroy [resolving their differences] and I'm super happy that those guys have moved on from stuff that shouldn't have come between them – politics and business.

"I'd love to see them walking down a fairway in Rome, winning a foursomes match together. I think that's what every European Ryder Cup fan wants."

The Ryder Cup runs from September 29 to October 1 at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club near Rome.

Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

About Krews

Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi

Based: Abu Dhabi

Founded: January 2019

Number of employees: 10

Sector: Technology/Social media 

Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support

 

All or Nothing

Amazon Prime

Four stars

GOLF’S RAHMBO

- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)

The specs: 2018 Ford Mustang GT

Price, base / as tested: Dh204,750 / Dh241,500
Engine: 5.0-litre V8
Gearbox: 10-speed automatic
Power: 460hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque: 569Nm @ 4,600rpm​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​Fuel economy, combined: 10.3L / 100km

The details

Colette

Director: Wash Westmoreland

Starring: Keira Knightley, Dominic West

Our take: 3/5

Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Federer's 11 Wimbledon finals

2003 Beat Mark Philippoussis

2004 Beat Andy Roddick

2005 Beat Andy Roddick

2006 Beat Rafael Nadal

2007 Beat Rafael Nadal

2008 Lost to Rafael Nadal

2009 Beat Andy Roddick

2012 Beat Andy Murray

2014 Lost to Novak Djokovic

2015 Lost to Novak Djokovic

2017 Beat Marin Cilic

Abu Dhabi GP schedule

Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm

Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm

Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm

The 100 Best Novels in Translation
Boyd Tonkin, Galileo Press

Skewed figures

In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458. 

MATCH INFO

Europa League final

Who: Marseille v Atletico Madrid
Where: Parc OL, Lyon, France
When: Wednesday, 10.45pm kick off (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports

If you go

The flights

Fly direct to London from the UAE with Etihad, Emirates, British Airways or Virgin Atlantic from about Dh2,500 return including taxes. 

The hotel

Rooms at the convenient and art-conscious Andaz London Liverpool Street cost from £167 (Dh800) per night including taxes.

The tour

The Shoreditch Street Art Tour costs from £15 (Dh73) per person for approximately three hours. 

Updated: July 06, 2023, 7:46 AM`