Padraig Harrington has not ruled out the possibility of future Ryder Cup captaincy for LIV players such as Graeme McDowell, Lee Westwood, or Ian Poulter.

This year’s Ryder Cup gets underway in September at Adare Manor, and Luke Donald’s European team will be hoping to make it three wins in a row when they take on Jim Furyk’s US team in Limerick.

Graeme McDowell previously hoped to captain the team in Limerick, but until the current rules are changed, the Northern Irishman and fellow LIV stars like Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia remain ineligible for the captaincy after failing to retain continuous membership of the DP World Tour.

Graeme McDowell and Padraig Harrington
Graeme McDowell and Padraig Harrington at the 2010 Ryder Cup. Pic: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

Given the changing dynamic of golf and the uncertainty around the LIV Golf League, Padraig Harrington has not ruled out the possibility of a LIV player captaining the European side in the future.

‘Lee Westwood was lined up to take the captaincy after me,’ Harrington said. ‘You’ve got [Ian] Poulter, and you’ve got Graeme [McDowell]. There would have been a lot of competition there. Time heals a lot, so maybe we’ll see those guys as captains down the road.’

Harrington also said the appointment of Jim Furyk as the US team’s captain should not be underestimated.

Jim Furyk and Padraig Harrington
Jim Furyk and Padraig Harrington, 2009. Pic: ADRIAN DENNIS / AFP via Getty Images

‘Jim’s a great guy, for sure,’ he said. ‘I think he’s very competitive. He’s quite hard. The whole US team wants revenge, and they’re definitely going to leave no stone unturned, I would think.’

The Irishman was speaking from Stackstown Golf Club, where he shot a career-best, bogey-free six-under 66 to win the Tilestyle PGA Pro-Am at a club where his late father was one of the founding members.

The Dubliner said he was pleased to play competitive golf before heading to the US in a week to see Shinnecock Hills ahead of the US Open.