Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia are facing the end of their Ryder Cup careers after the LIV Golf rebels lost their arbitration case against the DP World Tour.

Before the first round of the 87th Masters, Augusta was abuzz with news after the result of the Sports Resolutions hearing, conducted in London in February, came out. The trio, along with several others on the Saudi-backed breakaway series, must now decide their course of action.

The ruling by a retired high court judge essentially deems that the DP World Tour was within its rights to issue suspensions and fines to those members who defied chief executive Keith Pelley by teeing it up in competitions on the Saudi-funded circuit, that began with a £20 million event at Centurion Club in St Albans last June.

Wentworth HQ immediately imposed $100,000 fines and three-tournament bans on the 16 players, including Westwood, who appeared at the Centurion Club, citing the fact that Pelley had not granted them releases to play in the competing event. Those sanctions were stayed, however, when Poulter, Adrian Otaegui and Justin Harding were granted an injunction to enter the Scottish Open in July.