by Sergio Garcia is considering joining the DP World Tour in order to be eligible for next year’s Ryder Cup, according to European captain Luke Donald.
Garcia resigned his membership in May 2023 after an arbitration panel ruled in favor of the DP World Tour and ratified his right to fine and suspend players who participated in LIV Golf events without authorization.
A day later, the DP World Tour then revealed that Garcia was the only one of the 17 players initially sanctioned who had not paid his £100,000 fine, “and has given no indication that he intends to do so”.
Garcia also reportedly reacted furiously in the locker room at the BMW International in Munich when the sanctions were initially handed down, leading witness Robert MacIntyre to write on social media that he had lost all respect for the Masters champion.
Speaking at an event in New York marking less than a year until the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage, Donald said: “He (Garcia) resigned his membership a few years ago, but we’ve had a few discussions.
“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.
Asked if Garcia, who is the leading Ryder Cup points scorer and Donald’s partner on several occasions, was seriously considering joining the Tour for the 2025 season, Donald added: “Yes, we have discussed at phone a few weeks ago.
“He’s certainly very interested in doing that.” He understands all that it entails and once again, it’s up to him if he’s willing to do all of this.
“But we certainly had that discussion.”
Garcia is expected to reapply for membership and then clarify what the PA news agency considers to be “substantial” sanctions before being eligible to compete in the four required regular DP World Tour events.
The 44-year-old would almost certainly face a hostile reaction from the Bethpage crowd if he made the team, having already done so during the 2002 US Open at the same venue.
Garcia was repeatedly asked to “Hit it, boy” as he went through a phase of gripping and re-gripping his club before each shot, with spectators also counting out loud as he did so.
US captain Keegan Bradley has revealed tournament organizers will have spotters on the ropes in Bethpage next year to weed out anyone deemed to have “crossed the line”.
“It’s really important to us on the U.S. side that it’s a fair place to play for both teams,” Bradley said. “No one on either team wants it to get uncomfortable or weird.
“But listen, you walk into Yankee Stadium, you walk into Madison Square Garden, it’s a tough place to play. And Luke and the boys know it.
“I have complete confidence in the New York fans to cheer for their team proudly and loudly. I don’t want them to cross the finish line, to do anything that could affect the flow of the game, but the atmosphere is going to be difficult.
“They’re going to be loud, they’re going to be passionate and the PGA of America is going to do a great job of making sure everything is right.”
Bradley got the winning point in the recent Presidents Cup and harbors hopes of becoming playing captain at Bethpage, but insists it’s too early to fully plan for that scenario.
“Every vice-captain I pick will know it’s a possibility,” Bradley added.
“My vice-captains will all be more than capable of doing that and I hope one day they will all be captains, but we are so far from that. I’m really focused on being captain right now.
