Former Ryder Cup player Jamie Donaldson admits an approach from LIV Golf would be “hard to refuse”, but says it’s hard to understand young players joining the Saudi-backed series.
Donaldson, 46, says he can understand why veteran golfers accept the financial rewards offered by LIV Golf.
But he is surprised that players competing at the top of the sport have their heads turned.
“I understand [with] older guys,” Donaldson said.
“But the younger ones, I find it hard to believe that they are leaving when they can still compete on the world stage.
“I would find it hard to refuse, me personally. For an older guy who’s not as competitive as he used to be, who doesn’t compete as well in major tournaments, I think it’s hard for the people to refuse.”
Welshman Donaldson is 163rd in the world golf rankings, having been in the top 50 during the best period of his career.
The three-time European Tour winner’s finest hour came in 2014, when a memorable corner on the 15th green at Gleneagles secured the winning run in Europe’s Ryder Cup victory over England. United States.
“For me the Ryder Cup was the biggest moment and we all did it for nothing,” Donaldson told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast.
“We don’t get paid to play in the Ryder Cup. There may have been some bounce backs in the sponsorship of some golfers. It was the biggest thing I’ve ever been involved in and there was no money in play.
“But at the end of the day, if you’re older and you don’t feel like you can go to another (Ryder Cup) or you don’t feel like you can go to major tournaments like you used to, it’s different then, you have family and now you can play less golf (in the LIV series) for more money.
“You can spend more time with your family and everyone is better off because of it. How do you say no to that?
“Personally, can I still get into a Ryder Cup team? I think I can still do that if I have an absolute blinder for a year.
“Is it realistic? Can it happen? Maybe. But if you feel like it won’t happen and someone offers you money again that you have earned in your only once, to go and play in Saudi Arabia, I don’t see how you can say no.”
Europe is currently without a captain for the 2023 Ryder Cup after Henrik Stenson, who was handed the role in March, was sacked on Wednesday morning.
The Swede confirmed later that day that he would be joining LIV Golf prompting his withdrawal from the Ryder Cup role.
“It’s a really tough decision to drop that and then move on to the LIV stuff, but it’s getting so much stronger all the time,” Donaldson added.
“The first event wasn’t that strong. The second event was stronger and it’s going to keep getting stronger like in the world player rankings.
“You don’t know, if he (Stenson) goes and finishes his captaincy and by the time he did he’s unable to get into it (LIV), when it was something he had can -be expected to do from the start anyway – it’s like a missed opportunity for him.”