Sergio Garcia, the Ryder Cup’s all-time leading points scorer, is considering rejoining the DP World Tour to be eligible for the 2025 event at Bethpage, according to European captain Luke Donald.
The Spaniard, who resigned his membership in May 2023, has recently held discussions with Donald about a potential return.
“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,” Donald revealed at an event in New York marking less than a year until the competition.
Garcia faces significant challenges in his potential return to the DP World Tour.
He would need to pay substantial fines, reportedly exceeding $2 million (£1.5 million), including an outstanding £100,000 sanction from 2022.
The Spaniard would also have to reapply for membership and clear additional sanctions before becoming eligible to play in the required four regular DP World Tour events.
Furthermore, Garcia might encounter hostility from New York fans at Bethpage, where he previously faced heckling during the 2002 US Open.
Spectators dubbed him “Waggle Boy” due to his pre-shot routine, leading to a tense atmosphere that could resurface in 2025.
US captain Keegan Bradley emphasised the importance of ensuring fair play and managing crowd behaviour at Bethpage.
He stated, “It’s really important to us, the US side, that it’s a fair place to play for both teams.”
Bradley revealed plans to have observers inside the ropes to identify and remove spectators who cross the line.
“Nobody on either team wants this to get uncomfortable or weird out there,” Bradley added.
Sergio Garcia could return to the Ryder Cup team
PA
However, he acknowledged the challenging atmosphere, comparing it to playing at Yankee Stadium or Madison Square Garden.
Bradley expressed confidence in New York fans’ ability to support their team passionately while maintaining appropriate conduct.
Bradley also addressed the possibility of being a playing captain at Bethpage, given his current world ranking of 14th.
However, he remained focused on his captaincy duties.
Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald made the admission on Tuesday
PA
“It’s always a goal of mine to play on the Ryder Cup teams,” Bradley said. “It’s so far off now that I’m not going to worry about it.”
He added that his vice-captains would be prepared for the scenario: “Every vice-captain that I’m choosing will know this is a possibility.
Sergio Garcia joined LIV Golf in 2022
PA
“My vice-captains are all going to be more than capable of doing this and I hope someday they’ll all be captains, but we’re so far away from that.
“I’m really focused on being a captain right now.”