Sergio Garcia has agreed to pay more than £1billion in fines to rejoin the DP World Tour after his highly controversial exit to become the captain of Fireballs GC in 2023
Sergio Garcia’s comeback to the DP World Tour has stirred the pot as he seeks a spot at the Ryder Cup after shelling out more than £1billion in fines post his LIV Golf move.
Amidst the cash splash to reclaim his DP World Tour status and sustain his prospects for next year’s Ryder Cup in New York, Garcia also faces a nine-week hiatus from play starting this week. The golf realm stands divided by Garcia’s return move, especially considering the fiery nature of his original tour departure.
Back in May 2023, Garcia dramatically bid adieu to the DP World Tour on the heels of an adjudication by ex-high court judges, which found participating in unsanctioned LIV Golf events against tour policies. Fellow golfers Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell, and Martin Kaymer also jumped ship with this verdict, seemingly putting a full stop on Garcia’s storied Ryder Cup contributions, where he tops Europe’s points table with an impressive 28.5 from 10 events.
However, the news has split opinion amongst fellow tour professionals. Romain Langasque hailed the update with positivity on social media, proclaiming that the tour needs stars like Garcia. He said: “Best news of the day.”
On the flip side, Adrien Saddier appeared far more critical on X, expressing his discontent with Garcia regaining his Category 1 despite the acrimony he left in his wake. He added: “It hurts my — to read that he is going to get his Category 1 back after all the venom he has spat out. They don’t want to grow the game anymore.”
As Garcia found out his fine was locked in while warming up for the BMW International Open in Germany, he reportedly lost his cool and warned fellow golfers they should’ve grabbed the Saudi cash. Scottish ace Robert MacIntyre, a Ryder Cup hero, saw the tirade unfold and tweeted in disbelief: “Amazing how fast you can lose respect for someone that you’ve looked up to all your life.”
Not one to hold back, Garcia has publicly slammed the DP World Tour, blasting ex-boss Keith Pelley, and moaned about the lack of ranking points for those joining the rival circuit.
Post-bowing out from the BMW PGA Championship in October 2022, Garcia didn’t mince words when he told The Times: “I didn’t divide this thing. The shots have been coming from the other side, left and right. I don’t understand why it has to be so personal at the end of the day.”
Despite uncertainty around his 2025 plans, Garcia’s got 14 LIV events on his plate, with the Masters thrown in, yet snagging a spot on Team Europe hinges on Captain Luke Donald’s call if he follows through with tour sanctions, looking towards next year’s showcase at Bethpage Black.
