Sergio Garcia is considering rejoining the DP World Tour in order to be eligible for next year’s Ryder Cup, according to Europe captain Luke Donald.
Garcia resigned his membership in May 2023 after an arbitration panel found in favour of the DP World Tour and ratified its right to fine and suspend players who competed in LIV Golf events without permission.
A day later, the DP World Tour then revealed that Garcia was the only one of 17 players initially sanctioned not to have paid his £100,000 fine, “nor has he given any indication that he intends to”.
Speaking at an event in New York alongside US captain Keegan Bradley to mark less than a year to go to the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, Donald said: “He (Garcia) resigned his membership a couple of years ago but we have had some chats.
“He’s considering rejoining; he’d have to follow all the rules and regulations like everyone else and if he does that he will be eligible to partake in the Ryder Cup.”
Asked if Garcia, who is the leading points scorer in the Ryder Cup and partnered Donald on several occasions, was serious about rejoining the Tour for the 2025 season, Donald added: “Yeah, we chatted on the phone a couple of weeks ago.
“He’s certainly very interested in doing that. He understands everything that’s involved and again, the decision has to go to him whether he’s prepared to do all that.
“But certainly we’ve had that discussion.”
Donald on Rahm and Hatton: ‘There’s a good chance that they could make it automatically’
While Garcia was absent from Europe’s Ryder Cup line-up in Rome for just the second time since his first appearance in the biennial tournament in 1999, countryman Jon Rahm and England’s Tyrrell Hatton did feature in Donald’s victorious side but have since switched to LIV too.
The pair though are aiming to remain eligible for Ryder Cup selection by playing in the required four DP World Tour tournaments and have each appealed against their respective outstanding fines for defecting to the rival series.
Speaking in an interview with Sky Sports News, Donald was asked whether it would be more helpful for him if Rahm and Hatton made his team for New York automatically rather than relying on one of his six captain’s picks.
“I mean, likely, yeah, they’re obviously very strong players and they continue to play some great golf,” replied Donald.
“We obviously keep track of all the stats on all the tours of all the players and understand, how well or not they are playing. We’re a long way off from that but if they can continue on this form and and win events like they have been, then there’s a good chance that they could make it automatically.
“Time will tell, certainly.”
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Donald said that the idea of awarding Ryder Cup-qualifying points to LIV players “was certainly talked about” among the game’s decision-makers but he was comfortable with the current eligibility criteria staying in place for 2025.
“That was a decision that rested on the DP World Tour and with negotiations and where we are in the game of golf, it didn’t feel like it was necessary,” added Donald.
“That wasn’t the case in Rome. And we’ve kind of been very consistent with that process.
“We’re happy with the qualification criteria. And I think everyone, including the guys on LIV, are happy and understand that as well.”
Could Bradley be first playing captain in 60 years?
Less than a fortnight after securing the winning point to seal the USA’s latest Presidents Cup triumph in Montreal, Keegan Bradley has not ruled out becoming the first playing captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963.
“I think it’ll be pretty difficult to be a playing captain, but what I’m trying to do is surround myself with the right people, the right people to help me succeed to win the Ryder Cup and also with the thought in mind that I could make this team,” said Bradley, who played in the 2012 and 2014 editions of the tournament.
“I would have played just as hard if I wasn’t the Ryder Cup captain or was to make this team, and that’s a goal of mine to start the year every year. I do think it’d be a pretty big challenge, but I have such a long time before I have to worry about this.
“To make the US team is a very difficult task, and I think if we get halfway through the year, through a couple majors and it’s looking like this is a real possibility, then we’re really going to have to talk to the vice-captains and the people around us to make sure we’re best prepared for Bethpage.”
Asked if he did qualify whether he would consider stepping aside and returning to the captain’s role for Ireland 2027, Bradley replied: “I’m going to wait to see how this shapes out. I’m lucky to have Brandt Snedeker and Webb Simpson as my vice-captains so far, and I’m going to add to that obviously in the coming months, but they’ll be ready to step in.
“I’ve chosen all these guys with the thought in mind that they would be great captains someday. Who knows? But if we get down to the end of the year and this is a real possibility, we’ll have things in place to make sure we’re best prepared.”
On whether it was now possible in the modern game to combine the two roles, Donald said: “I’ve been through the captain’s role. It’s a lot. It’s a lot of commitments. It’s hard to juggle both playing and being a captain. But Keegan will understand and he’ll see in the next six to nine months where he stands and whether that’s a possibility or not.
“And if he is a chance that he makes that team, then he’s going to have to make a few adjustments and obviously delegate some of that responsibility to somebody else. But that’s a long way away from now.”
Sky Sports will continue to be the home of the Ryder Cup, with all three days of the 2025 contest from Bethpage Black, New York exclusively live. Stream the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA Tour and more with NOW.
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Source : Sky Sports
