Ian Poulter might be set for a DP World Tour return, but he is still ineligible for Europe’s Ryder Cup captaincy.It was recently announced that the English golfer, as well as fellow pro Lee Westwood, had settled their outstanding fines with the circuit – formerly known as the European Tour- for competing in conflicting LIV Golf events.Poulter has been plying his trade on the LIV Golf Tour for the last four yearsGettyThis comes as the breakaway league’s future hangs in the balance after the Saudi Public Investment Fund [PIF] announced it would be pulling its funding after the end of this season.Poulter and Westwood were among a number of European veterans to sign up for the controversial, Saudi-backed LIV Golf series in 2022.This came at the cost of their Ryder Cup careers though, with the DP World Tour – which runs Team Europe – standing with the PGA Tour in opposition to LIV.Since their move to LIV, both Poulter and Westwood have racked up hefty fines with the Tour, after it was ruled that they had had the power to impose sanctions on those who left without a conflicting event release.The DP World Tour agreed that if fines were paid, LIV Golf members could continue on the LIV circuit unopposed, as long as they play in six DP World Tour events, two of which would be pre-determined.However, Poulter and Westwood had always refused to pay the fines, until now.Long road backIt was revealed last week that the English pair had both settled their respective fines with the DP World Tour, which stood at around $1million each (£785,000). A DP World Tour spokesman confirmed told Golfweek: “We can confirm that Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood have both settled the fines imposed on them for breaching our Conflicting Tournament Regulation.”Now, with their fines paid, Poulter and Westwood have a clear route to rejoin the DP World Tour if LIV Golf folds as expected.The settlement means Westwood and Poulter can return to the Europe-based competition following the conclusion of the 2026 season in Dubai. Westwood looks set to head back to the DP World TourGettyHowever, they will still have to serve the suspensions that were issued alongside the fines, which are believed to be ten weeks, meaning a return to action could not happen before January.Poulter and Westwood aren’t the only LIV Golf stars to come to an agreement with the European golf circuit, with Jon Rahm doing similar recently.Shortly after news of LIV’s funding being pulled in May, the Spaniard reached a deal with the DP World Tour to pay the fines he racked up for his involvement on the rebel tour.Rahm had previously been locked in a tense stand-off with the circuit and was refusing to pay his fines, before performing a U-turn.What are Poulter and Westwood’s Ryder Cup futures?While Poulter and Westwood have paved the way to rejoin the DP World Tour, their Ryder Cup futures are less certain.In 2017, the DP World Tour introduced a rule that prohibits golfers from taking up leadership roles on the European Ryder Cup team if they resign their memberships. Westwood and Poulter were part of Europe’s famous ‘Miracle at Medinah’ back in 2012GettyThis rule applies to the two Team Europe greats, who were among a number of big-name golfers to give up their memberships in 2023.Poulter and Westwood were expected to take over Ryder Cup captaincies in the future. It had been assumed Westwood would take the reins from Sweden’s Henrik Stenson following the 2023 Ryder Cup in Italy, with Poulter to take charge of the European team at Bethpage Black in September 2025. However, Stensson was then stripped of the captaincy after he also joined LIV Golf, with Luke Donald instead appointed captain.And with Donald having since masterminded back-to-back European victories at Marco Simone and in New York, he is looking to become the first captain to win three Ryder Cups in a row next September. Despite Europe’s continued success without Poulter and Westwood, with the pair having been part of multiple winning European teams.Poulter has earned a reputation for always delivering on the Ryder Cup stageGettyKnown as ‘Mr Ryder Cup’, Poulter has been a part of 5 winning Ryder Cup teams in his career, and is famously undefeated in singles matches.Meanwhile, Westwood has been on the winning team on seven occasions since his debut in 1997, with his last appearance coming in 2021 – the same as Poulter.