DILEMMA AT JOINING LIV REVEALED

IAN POULTER told the new Netflix golf series it would be “devastating” to miss out on the Ryder Cup captaincy as he weighed up whether to join LIV Golf.

The Team Europe legend will be among LIV stars who learn if they can keep playing on the DP World Tour at an arbitration panel hearing starting in London today.

Poulter, dubbed the Postman for delivering Ryder Cup points, had been lined up to captain Europe in 2025 before joining the Saudibreakaway league. He hinted last month he might refuse to play this year’s event in Rome even if he is allowed to qualify.

But Poulter has taken a starring role in the new eight-part series called Full Swing – golf’s answer to Formula One’s Drive to Survive – giving behind-the-scenes access to the tour. Speaking last year, Poulter, 47, said: “We just don’t know how it would compromise any possibility of playing or captaining the Ryder Cup side. It is a difficult decision – and a decision with so many uncertainties.”

Poulter also gave an insight into his motivation for accepting the LIV money – and possibly being banned – after earning more than £23million on the PGA Tour.

“Growing up in Stevenage, we as a family never had luxury items,” said father-of-four Poulter.

“It gave me the want to succeed at a very early age.

“My whole life is about trying to work hard and provide.The fact of there being guaranteed money at play is obviously an attraction. People ask all the time, ‘Don’t you have enough already?’ But that is all relative. I treat my golf as a job and I want to obviously maximise every bit of my potential over the coming years. I’m not getting any younger.

“I love the Ryder Cup – and if one day I get the opportunity to be Ryder Cup captain, I would absolutely love it.

“It would be devastating if it were to be taken away.” ❑ENGLAND’S Daniel Gavins survived an incredible final-hole blunder to claim his second DP World Tour title at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship.

Gavins was in danger of squandering a three-shot lead when he twice found the water on the par-five 18th at Al Hamra Golf Club, only to hole from 25ft for a double-bogey seven to take a oneshot victory over Alexander Bjork and Zander Lombard.

●Netflix Full Swing is available from February 15.