Rory McIlroy: It's 'Strange' Sergio Garcia, LIV Golfers Aren't at 2023 Ryder Cup

The European Ryder Cup team will look vastly different in 2023, with regulars Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Graeme McDowell not on the team over defecting to LIV Golf.

Rory McIlroy said it will be "strange" not having his longtime teammates in place.

"It's certainly a little strange not having them around," McIlroy told reporters. "But I think this week of all weeks, it's going to hit home with them that, you know, they are not here, and I think they are going to miss being here more than we're missing them."

Brooks Koepka is the only LIV golfer who will take part in the 2023 Ryder Cup. Koepka was a captain's selection by Zach Johnson, but otherwise the fledgling golf league will not be part of battle between the United States and Europe.

This will likely be the only Ryder Cup without LIV golfers as LIV and the PGA Tour's merger looks to close at the end of the 2023 calendar year.

The result has been a wide-open Ryder Cup with seemingly no advantage for either side. Team Europe is a +100 favorite at FanDuel Sportsbook, with the United States coming in at +110.

The United States dominated the last Ryder Cup in a 19-9 romp that served as one of the biggest blowouts in the event's history. McIlroy, who will be tasked with shouldering the load of carrying Europe, says he's in a better place than the 2021 event.

"Coming into 2021, I felt like I was searching a little bit," McIlroy said. "I didn't feel in full control of my game. If you trace everything back, I got a lot of confidence and belief in myself that Sunday singles at Whistling Straits, because I certainly wasn't believing in myself at that time. But the rest of my team did believe in me."