The news said Sergio Garcia Agreeing to pay a DP World Tour fine with the aim of competing in the upcoming Ryder Cup came as a surprise to many. The Spaniard has enjoyed great success at the Ryder Cup and his absence in Rome last year clearly annoyed the veteran golfer, who wants to contribute to the team this time around.
Many wonder if some of his colleagues like Ian Poulter, Will decide to take the same steps. Judging from what the 48-year-old Briton said, the chances of this happening are slim. By analyzing the DP World Tour fine and the fact how many tournaments Garcia will compete in next year, Poulter realized that Garcia would have to pay a huge fine to play for Team Europe.
Express quoted him as saying: “He has paid a fine worth $1 million (£780,000).”
“He will play 14 LIV events next year, five of which are fined $100,000 (£80,000) a week, so it will cost him $2.4m (£1.9m) to give him the freedom of opportunity. That's a lot of money to spend money to try and build a team.”
The veteran Briton, who has been a part of the golfing community for many years, stressed that his decision regarding the Ryder Cup was primarily based on principle rather than focusing on finances. The Briton wanted to put logic into perspective, pointing out that it makes no sense to pay $100,000 a week for the chance to perform in next year's Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black. The 48-year-old knew immediately whether he would accept LIV Golff's offer, seeing it as a real obstacle for him. Although the decision was immediately criticized, Ian has no doubt that he made the right choice.
An experienced golfer believes the current situation in which golfers are being unfairly penalized is not good at all. Poulter was unhappy given the reaction from fans and media headlines, which did not underline his importance to the European Tour and the Ryder Cup team. Joining LIV Golf has changed a lot for him, especially the way fans view Poulter. Ian noted that every golfer longs for freedom of choice but is disappointed by the penalties that come with it. Ian emphasized that principles and integrity are more important than the rules imposed by the DP World Tour and other organizations.
Poulter is not satisfied with the results of this season, he stressed that such results do not guarantee him a Ryder Cup. The Englishman will most likely stay home anyway, so such a decision may be the wrong one for him. Poulter finished the season in 37th place. On the other hand, his colleague Sergio Garcia finished third. The Englishman stressed that he had not spoken to Europe captain Luke Donald and he did not know whether Gracia and Donald had spoken. The future is uncertain for many, including Garcia, who is clearly eager to perform at Bethpage Black.
“Honestly, I haven't spoken to Luke Donald (European captain) yet,” said Ian Poulter. “I don't know if Luke has spoken to Sergio in detail. I don't know how many games he plans to play in Europe, so I guess we'll have to wait and see.”
Many things are unknown at the moment.
Sergio Garcia
Sergio Garcia I want to participate in the Ryder Cup for the 11th time and break the record. The 44-year-old is ready to pay a multi-million dollar fine in order to play for a European team. A spokesperson for the DP World Tour recently confirmed that Garcia submitted an application to regain membership of the DP World Tour for the 2025 season. In addition, he must serve his suspension before playing on the European Tour.
A DP World Tour spokesman said: “Sergio Garcia submitted his application to return to DP World Tour membership for the 2025 season before the deadline on Sunday 17 November.”
“He has paid the fine but must serve his ban before participating in the DP World Tour.”
It will be interesting to follow what is going on in the golf world and see what happens in the future. The arrival of LIV Golf changed many things, including Garcia's future and destiny. Nonetheless, the veteran golfer believes he will return to perform well at Bethpage next year and help the team win another medal, this time on the road.
What awaited them was a difficult task, but not impossible.
