Europe's Ryder Cup captain, Luke Donald, announced on Tuesday that he has been in discussions with Sergio Garcia regarding the possibility of the LIV Golf defector rejoining the European team for the upcoming Ryder Cup against the USA. At an event in New York marking the countdown to the showdown at Bethpage, Donald confirmed that he had reached out to Garcia to gauge his availability for selection.
Garcia, who holds the record for the most points scored in Ryder Cup history with 28.5 from ten appearances, missed last year's tournament in Rome after opting to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit.
However, Donald indicated that Garcia is now contemplating reapplying for membership in the DP World Tour to become eligible for future competitions. “Obviously, he resigned his membership a couple of years ago,” Donald noted, emphasizing that their conversations have focused on the potential for Garcia's return.
Donald explained that if Garcia decides to rejoin the DP World Tour, he would need to adhere to all relevant rules and regulations, just like any other player. “We chatted on the phone a couple of weeks ago. He’s certainly very interested in doing that,” Donald stated, while making it clear that the ultimate decision rests with Garcia. The captain reiterated that they had indeed discussed the prospect of his return.
In addition to Garcia, Donald mentioned that other LIV players might also be eligible for captain’s picks, thanks to existing DP World Tour regulations that have remained consistent. He pointed out that eligibility requires membership in the European Tour and European nationality. As the US Ryder Cup team has already permitted LIV players to participate, Donald’s options for selecting the best players remain open.
Meanwhile, US captain Keegan Bradley affirmed his intention to choose the top 12 players available, regardless of their affiliation, as the Ryder Cup approaches, scheduled for September 26-28, 2025, at Bethpage Black in New York. Europe aims to reclaim the title on US soil after their last victory at Medinah in 2012.
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