RYDER CUP BLOW AS LIV ROW DRAGS ON

THE wait for a resolution to the dispute between the DP World Tour and defectors to the LIv golf circuit, and its ramifications for the Ryder Cup, is expected to drag on longer than expected.

The Tour are looking to effectively suspend rebels who have joined the breakaway Saudi series, which would mean they cannot pick up world ranking points and qualify for the Ryder Cup. Sportsmail understands the latest working estimate is between two to four months for a resolution, meaning it might drag beyond the season’s first major, the Masters, which begins on april 6. If the verdict is not issued until the latter end of that timeframe, around mid- June, it would represent an exacerbated burden for Europe’s Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, as the match with the United States starts on September 29 in Rome.