Nicolas Colsaert on Poulter and Garcia: Their decision doesn’t sit well with me

In an interview with The Times, Nicolas Colsaert commented on the decision of some players to join LIV Golf and thus question their appearance at the Ryder Cup:

“There’s a part of me that wants the 12 best Europeans to represent Europe just because of the history. It’s a huge loss for the quality of the event. I don’t know what decision is going to be taken, but regardless of what side of the fence you’re on, the biggest loser is the spirit of the Ryder Cup. It’s a bit of a stain, let’s say.”- he said.

Garcia and Poulter surprised many with their decision to join LIV Golf.

“They had preferential treatment for however many years and now someone else comes knocking, and you go over there but still want the same treatment here. That doesn’t sit well with me. 

It’s always difficult to hear somebody criticising something you have a strong affectionate relationship with. In my case, [the criticism] just hurts. Loads of people are still happy to see them play, and people will pay to watch them, but you can feel the atmosphere is different unfortunately and it’s really sad.”

Vice-Captain Role

The vice-captain role is what he needed. It looks like he had doubts about himself, but in one moment everything changed.

“Let’s face it, I just turned 40, I’m at the back end of my career, and you start asking yourself how long you have left. I was at the end of a bad cycle, I was struggling to find motivation, and then this thing falls out of the sky. Luke asking me now, it’s been like a kick in the butt. Not to sound pitiful but, when you’re low, you’re just hoping for a hand, you want to be able to grab something and I feel like this is what I was waiting for.”