Getty
Ian Poulter is in danger of being relegated from LIV despite being one of its first players.
The next couple of months could be particularly unpleasant for former European Ryder Cup star and LIV Golf renegade Ian Poulter.
The Englishman, who reached as high as No. 5 in the world at the peak of his powers, is now in risk of being relegated from LIV. A poor showing at the tour’s regular-season finale in Indianapolis could leave the 49-year-old without a golf home in 2026.
Ian Poulter Needs Huge Rebound to Avoid LIV Relegation
For Poulter, it’s simple. LIV’s rules, at least for now, state that players who finish 49th or below in the points are relegated from the league for the upcoming season. Poulter currently finds himself No. 52 on the list, sandwiched between golf giants like Luis Masaveau and Yubin Jang. Adding to the potential embarrassment is the fact that Masaveu is a reserve player, meaning he doesn’t have a team and doesn’t get nearly as many starts.
What that means for Poulter this week, is that he has to at least finish 24th in the individual competition in order to gain points in an attempt to rid himself from the aptly named “drop zone.”
Another Ryder Cup Without Poulter
Adding to Poulter’s golf misery is the looming Ryder Cup. His longtime European comrades once again will go into battle without Poulter, one of the greatest players in the competition’s storied history. Just two years ago, Golf.com put Poulter on its list of best Ryder Cup players in history alongside the likes of Seve Ballesteros and Arnold Palmer.
Golf.com writer Josh Sens even made this point about Poulter vs. Tiger Woods, and quite frankly, it’s hard to argue:
“If you were a team captain, rounding out your roster,” Sens wrote in 2023, “would you take Poulter or Tiger Woods? It speaks to the uniqueness of the Ryder Cup that every stat would point you toward the Englishman, who frightened almost no one in PGA Tour events but, when it came to biennial match play, was born to be a thorn in the Americans’ side.”
Yet, Poulter’s decision to leave the PGA Tour to join LIV has cost him at least two Ryder Cup playing opportunities. After making six teams between 2004 and 2018, Poulter has just one appearance (2021) in the last few years. When he left the Tour for LIV in 2022, the loss of world ranking points hurt his ability to get in as an automatic qualifier, and he simply hasn’t performed well enough to warrant a captain’s pick, despite his historic resume.
Poulter Relegation Could Be Major Blow for LIV
In a vacuum, Poulter’s absence from full-time status on LIV wouldn’t affect the tour much if at all. However, if he were to be relegated, he would become the highest-profile player to suffer that fate, a distinction even more pronounced by his status as one of the original LIV defectors. Having to send him packing over poor play wouldn’t be the greatest reflection of the league’s competition.
Poulter did quite all right for himself in the process, though. Reports indicated the Saudi-backed league gave Poulter up to $30 million to join the league. Poulter also scooped up an additional $10 million in on-course earnings over the last few years, so it’s a pretty good consolation prize for an eventual banishment to golf Siberia.
Mike Cole Mike Cole covers golf as well as the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans for Heavy.com. He previously worked at NESN where he covered Boston sports (and much more) for 15 years. More about Mike Cole
More Heavy on Golf
Loading more stories
