29 February 2024 , 21:45
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Sergio Garcia will have to settle fines in excess of $1 million (£800k) if he is to regain his DP World Tour membership and Ryder Cup eligibility.
Garcia became one of a number of European big names to join the LIV Golf setup in June 2022, but his decision to make the Saudi switch has come at a cost. Following a lengthy legal battle, the DP World Tour were given the power to fine and suspend any of its members for competing in LIV events.
With the former Masters champion falling into the category, Garcia opted to resign his DP World Tour membership on the back of the initial sanctioning and to avoid further punishment.
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Most importantly for the Spaniard, giving up his Tour card ensured he gave up his Ryder Cup playing rights, an event in which he is the all-team leading points scorer. Appearing on the Rick Shiels Golf Show earlier this month, Garcia announced his attention to regain his DP World Tour membership in the hope of returning to the Ryder Cup in 2025.
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“I am going to be a member again of the European Tour,” Garcia stated “I always said that I wanted to, when I joined LIV, keep being a member of the DP World Tour. Obviously they didn’t make it too easy to be able to do that, [but] I want to give myself the best possibility of playing the Ryder Cup.
“Only playing a handful of events, it is not easy to make it unless you do super well. But I guess at the end of the day if I am eligible, they see I am making the effort and I do well with LIV and I am consistent then at least hopefully I can be considered, not only because of my game but what I can bring to the team, and my history in the event.”
Sergio Garcia announced himself as a Ryder Cup great (PA)Now according to the Telegraph, Garcia will be required to settle his outstanding fines first if he is to have any chance of making Luke Donald's European setup at Bethpage Black in 2025. Per the report, Garcia is the only LIV star yet to pay the initial £100,000 fine first handed out last spring.
According to a Telegraph source, the Fireballs captain has claimed he will only pay out his sanctions if he is considered for Ryder Cup selection in 2025. “Sergio’s statement was bizarre, seeing as he resigned when refusing to pay the first fine,” the source said.
“He is probably hoping a deal is worked out in the current negotiations with PIF [the Saudi sovereign wealth fund], and there is an amnesty and a clear pathway back. But there is a strong feeling among the tour’s rank and file that the fines will have to be honoured first – and Sergio has only so far offered to pay if he could be considered for the Ryder Cup."