A little over 18 months after Sergio Garcia appeared to draw a line under his DP World Tour career by resigning from the circuit, he has rejoined it after paying fines he incurred for playing for LIV Golf.
The DP World Tour has confirmed the news to Golf Monthly while Garcia, who won The Masters in 2017, is listed in exemption Category 1, which is reserved for winners of the Race to Dubai Rankings between 2017 and 2024 and the four Majors from 2017 to 2025.
The Spaniard will be hoping the move paves the way for a potential return to the European Ryder Cup team.
Garcia is the all-time record points scorer at the match, but his eligibility for future editions rested on him settling his fines and being a member of the DP World Tour.
Sergio Garcia is the Ryder Cup's record points scorer
In an exclusive interview with Golf Monthly earlier in November, Garcia said he hoped he could continue his Ryder Cup career.
He explained: "I definitely hope so. I hope that things get better and I would love to.
"I’ve had talks with the European Tour and I still want to support the European Tour, so hopefully we all come to an agreement and that can be restored.
"I feel like my game’s still good enough to play at least two or three Ryder Cups, so if I can keep that level going, hopefully everything gets sorted and we can get to that point."
One of the most solid indications of Garcia’s intention to do what was required to become eligible came in October when European captain Luke Donald appeared in a Year to Go Media Event in New York.
At the time, Donald revealed that not only had he spoken to Garcia, but that he was considering taking up DP World Tour membership again.
He explained: “Well, first of all, obviously he resigned his membership a couple 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, again, he will be eligible to partake in the Ryder Cup.”
Luke Donald gave a strong hint of Sergio Garcia's intentions at the Year to Go Media Event
The possibility of Garcia eventually rejoining the DP World Tour had appeared likely even earlier. Before last year’s match at Marco Simone, The Telegraph’s James Corrigan reported that Garcia had attempted to pay his fines with the DP World Tour in the hope of rejoining and becoming eligible.
However, he later revealed to i’s Kevin Garside that he didn't pursue the ambition after he was told by then DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley that there was “no chance" of him rejoining the circuit.
Clearly, the possibility of returning one day had not been entirely extinguished, though. In February, Garcia told the Rick Shiels Golf Show that he was "going to be a member again of the European Tour" in order to "give myself the best possibility of playing the Ryder Cup".
That has now come to pass, though it remains to be seen if Garcia will make the team for the 11th time at the Bethpage Black edition next year.
The DP World Tour also confirmed to Golf Monthly that the appeal against the fines lodged by Garcia’s fellow LIV golfers Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton and Adrian Meronk had not yet been heard, meaning they are able to continue playing on the circuit in the interim.
