Sergio Garcia Aims for Ryder Cup Return After Settling Fines

Cataleya

November 19, 2024 · 1 min read

Sergio Garcia Aims for Ryder Cup Return After Settling Fines
Other Sports | November 19, 2024
Europe's Ryder Cup captain, Luke Donald said that Sergio Garcia "expressed strong interest" in rejoining the tour during their recent conversation. (Image: Getty)

Sergio Garcia, LIV Golf star and Ryder Cup record points scorer plans to rejoin the DP World Tour for the 2025 season as he targets a spot in next year’s Ryder Cup. The 44-year-old Spaniard aims to match Lee Westwood and Sir Nick Faldo’s European record of 11 Ryder Cup appearances. To regain eligibility, Garcia settled over £1 million in fines that the DP World Tour imposed for his defection to LIV Golf. Additionally, he will serve a suspension before competing again.

The Europe-based DP World Tour confirmed that Garcia submitted his membership application before the 17 November deadline. Since European players must hold tour membership to qualify for the Ryder Cup, this move was crucial. Looking ahead, the 2025 Ryder Cup will take place from 26-28 September at Bethpage, New York. European captain Luke Donald recently revealed that he had engaged in discussions with Garcia about his return.

This conversation highlighted a potential pathway for Garcia to rejoin the team. Notably, Garcia’s illustrious career includes 16 European Tour titles, 11 PGA Tour victories and the 2017 Masters which counts toward both tallies. In 2022, Garcia joined LIV Golf, the Saudi-funded breakaway series along with other notable players. However, he resigned from the DP World Tour in May 2023 after an arbitration ruling upheld the tour’s right to penalize players who participated in LIV events without permission.

Despite these challenges, Sergio Garcia now takes decisive steps to reinstate his tour membership and pursue his Ryder Cup ambitions. His efforts, though demanding, reflect his determination to extend his remarkable legacy in the Ryder Cup. If successful, his comeback would mark a triumphant chapter in a storied career.