Rory McIlroy has warned European players who have opted to contest the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational instead of the Open de France will "regret it", but accepts defending champion Shane Lowry was put in an unenviable position.
A re-working of the PGA Tour's calendar to accommodate golf's return to the Olympics saw the WGC event brought forward to the end of June, bringing it into direct conflict with the Open de France at Le Golf National, venue for the 2018 Ryder Cup.
The European Tour responded by withdrawing its sanction of the Bridgestone Invitational just two days after Lowry won it last August, meaning money won there will not count for Ryder Cup points or towards the Race to Dubai.