Billy Foster: It’s a ‘Shame’ Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter Won’t Be Ryder Cup Captains

Veteran caddie Billy Foster lamented the state of the European Ryder Cup team in the wake of LIV Golf.

Billy Foster is Matt Fitzpatrick’s current caddie, but the veteran looper’s relationship with the European Ryder Cup team began long before the 29-year-old Englishman first made the squad. Foster has been a part of 15 Ryder Cups while working for various legends of the game, and he has some strong opinions about the state of the European side in the wake of LIV Golf.

In a recent interview with Bunkered, Foster explained that he’d “love” to see three LIV golfers and Ryder Cup legends be a part of the team: Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Ian Poutler. 

As of now their future with the event is murky at best. Garcia, Westwood and Poulter all resigned their memberships with the DP World Tour after sanctions were placed on them due to their participation in LIV Golf. By rule that made them ineligible to compete in the Ryder Cup. 

“Would I ban them? Personally, no, I wouldn’t,” Foster said. “Because for what they’ve done for the Ryder Cup and the records they’ve got – Sergio is Europe’s record points scorer, Westy is fifth, and Poulter’s played seven Ryder Cups and has never been beaten in singles.”

Foster went as far to say that the three European players should be the next three Ryder Cup captains, and he's disappointed it won't happen.

“What they bring to that locker room is immense,” Foster said. “I wouldn’t have banned them because they should be the next three Ryder Cup captains – and are they going to be that now? Probably not, which is which is a shame because what they’ve done in the Ryder Cup is now tarnished for doing what was right for them. Let’s face it, you can’t blame them for playing less golf for more money.

“Everybody has opinions, but would they gel in the locker room with the new breed of players? I don’t know, but certainly from a personal point of view, I’d love to see them still be involved and I’d love to see them be the next three captains.”

Foster caddied for Lee Westwood in three Ryder Cups, including in 2016 at Hazeltine :: Andrew Redington/Getty Images

It appears Garcia has the same hopes as Foster, at least according to a report from the Telegraph. Garcia, who has the most wins in Ryder Cup history, apparently made a last-ditch effort to be a part of this year’s event in Rome, offering to pay the DP World Tour an estimated £700,000 in fines. 

Since 1987, Foster has only missed the 1995 and 2012 Ryder Cups. He has caddied for Seve Ballesteros, Darren Clarke, Lee Westwood and Gordon Brand Jr.

Foster said the absence of Europe's leading voices could be detrimental to their team. 

“The European Tour is not in great shape at the moment and it could be years before we get another dominant European team,” Foster said. “We’ve got a handful of strong European players, but as far as a depth of 12 players, it’s not what it was. They’re losing some immense players – Westwood, Poulter, Garcia, Graeme McDowell, Luke Donald, Henrik Stenson – and these shoes have to be filled.

“So let’s look forward to two years’ time and it could be a completely different playing field and we might have discovered another two or three brilliant European players. It can change quickly. Very quickly.”