Luke Donald responds to possible Ryder Cup return for Sergio Garcia

Luke Donald has left open the possibility for Sergio Garcia to make an extraordinary return to the Ryder Cup in 2025. Despite resigning his DP World Tour membership last year to concentrate on LIV Golf, Garcia, Europe’s highest all-time points scorer, remains hopeful about making an 11th Ryder Cup appearance.

 

Garcia was ineligible for last year’s Ryder Cup held at Marco Simone due to his resignation from the DP World Tour. This move came as he faced increasing fines and suspensions from participating in the breakaway LIV Golf league. However, Garcia expressed his intention to return to his previous tour in 2024, aiming to reignite his Ryder Cup career. He made this surprising revelation during an appearance on a Rick Shiels podcast in November, where he revealed his desire to return.

 

Unexpectedly, Garcia missed the deadline for reapplying to the DP World Tour during the winter. Under the current regulations of the tour, this oversight means he would need to pay fines amounting to over $1 million to regain his membership. Despite these financial hurdles, Garcia, now 44, appears determined to rejoin the tour for the 2025 season. To be eligible for the Ryder Cup, he would need to participate in a minimum of four events, which would make him available for the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.

 

The potential for Garcia’s return was discussed with European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald during a roundtable with reporters at the British Masters, which also served as the first Ryder Cup qualifying event for the upcoming match on the outskirts of New York. When asked about Garcia’s plans, Donald confirmed that he had been made aware of the possibility by Garcia’s manager, Carlos, whom he encountered at The Open. Donald mentioned, “I saw his manager Carlos at The Open and he mentioned something similar,” referring to Garcia’s potential plans to reapply for DP World Tour membership.

 

Donald added that he had congratulated Garcia via a message when he won the Valderrama Masters, but aside from that, he had not engaged in detailed discussions with Garcia about his membership status. Donald did, however, speak with Garcia’s agent and noted that Garcia had been performing well in his recent tournaments. Donald emphasized that having a broader pool of players to choose from is advantageous for the Ryder Cup team.

 

Additionally, Donald addressed the ongoing concerns regarding Jon Rahm’s eligibility. Rahm, who joined LIV Golf alongside Garcia, did not resign his membership from the DP World Tour. However, he still needs to participate in three more DP World Tour events this season to retain his card. Donald clarified, “I’ve had many conversations with Jon. He knows what the deal is. Nothing has changed from last year. He knew when he signed for LIV what the policies were on the DP World Tour. You have to play your four per all the policies you can pay the fines or appeal like some of the guys have. He knows that. It’s up to him to do that.”

 

Donald added that Rahm had expressed a willingness to commit fully to the Ryder Cup team, stating, “He certainly mentioned at the PGA Championship he was willing to do whatever it took to commit to me and the team. I hope that happens.”

 

In a similar situation, Tyrrell Hatton also faces challenges related to his DP World Tour membership. However, Hatton’s path to meeting his requirements appears somewhat clearer compared to Rahm’s. Hatton is scheduled to play his second DP World Tour event of the season at The Belfry this week. He has indicated that he will also participate in the Spanish Open and the Dunhill Links Championship to meet his membership quota.

 

Donald expressed his enthusiasm about having a diverse group of players to select from for the Ryder Cup. He stated, “I’m excited to have as many players as I can to choose from and to be eligible, and I’m glad Tyrrell is playing this week.” Donald expressed his hope that Hatton will be among the players he can consider for next year’s team, emphasizing the importance of player eligibility for the upcoming Ryder Cup.