by Sergio García could be in line for a sensational return to the Ryder Cup at Bethpage next year after Luke Donald revealed he recently held discussions with the Spaniard about returning to the DP World Tour.
García resigned from the Tour in 2023 after a sports arbitration panel ruled that sanctions imposed on the former Masters champion and others who joined LIV Golf were appropriate. That meant the end of the Ryder Cup road for García, the event’s leading points scorer, given that only DP World Tour members can play for Europe. García had an impressive 2024 season on LIV, finishing third in the individual overall standings.
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Donald, the European captain, was questioned on Tuesday in New York about García’s situation. The Englishman provided a surprising response. “Obviously he resigned his membership, but we had some discussions,” Donald said. “He plans to come back. He will have to follow all the rules and regulations like everyone else, and if he does, he will be eligible to compete in the Ryder Cup.
“We spoke on the phone a few weeks ago. He is certainly very interested in doing so. He understands everything that is involved and the decision should be his, if he is willing to do all of this. But we certainly had that discussion, yes.
García was absent when Donald’s European team beat the United States in Rome in 2023. Re-entering the DP World Tour, if he really wants to do it, won’t be easy for the 44-year-old. He will have to pay unpaid fines and serve suspensions before being allowed to compete in DP World Tour events.
In May last year, the Tour said García was in default of paying a £100,000 penalty. It is understood that – along with potentially other fines – remain unpaid. The return of García, who has been critical of the DP World Tour, could also cause divisions among the rank-and-file members.
Speaking at the same press conference as Donald, US captain Keegan Bradley remained strangely opaque about what would happen in the entirely possible scenario where he qualifies for his own team. Rory McIlroy is among those who have publicly stated that it would be impossible for Bradley to combine the duties of player and captain. As the 14th ranked player in the world, Bradley has a strong chance of landing a playing spot for Bethpage.
“It’s always a goal of mine to play on Ryder Cup teams,” Bradley said. “It’s so far away now that I’m not going to worry about it.” Once we get closer to the tournament and I’m at the top of the points list, we’ll start thinking about it. But my focus now is on being the captain of the team and that’s it.
Bradley admitted there would be “people on the ropes monitoring the situation” regarding crowd behavior on the outskirts of New York. Bethpage offers a notoriously noisy environment, which has fueled fears that the Ryder Cup scene was spiraling out of control.
“It’s really important to us that it’s a fair place for both teams to play,” Bradley said. “No one on either team wants this to get uncomfortable or weird.”
