Sergio Garcia resigned from his DP World Tour membership in 2023 after joining LIV Golf, which at the time meant the player with the most Ryder Cup wins in history would never appear again in a biennial event.
But that may not be the case.
European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald told a news conference in New York on Tuesday that he had spoken to the Spaniard and that Garcia could rejoin the DP World Tour as the first step in a Ryder Cup return.
“We had some conversations. He has to follow all the rules and regulations like everyone else and if he does it again he will be eligible for the Ryder Cup,” Donald said.
“He thinks he can play. He wants to play. I don't think he's talked to me about being an assistant captain, but he has to rejoin the tour to be eligible.”
Garcia's 28.5 points in 10 Ryder Cup games are the highest ever, with Europe winning six of those 10 games. This year, he won his first LIV Golf event in front of his home fans at Spain's Valderrama Golf Club and finished third behind Jon Rahm and Joaquin Niemann in the season-long standings. However, he is ranked No. 390 in the Official World Golf Ranking, which does not award points for the LIV Championship. He turns 45 in January.
Donald said Garcia did not discuss the role of assistant captain, but that would also require being in good standing with the DP World Tour.
U.S. captain Keegan Bradley joined Donald at a press conference to mark one year since the 2025 game, and both answered questions on a host of other topics.
> About being a field captain: Bradley was a member of last month’s U.S. Presidents Cup championship team, Seal the win at Royal Montreal. He hasn't ruled out playing during Bethpage's captaincy, but said it's not at the top of his mind.
“I promised myself that if I did this, I wouldn't worry about it until the time came. It's really hard to make Team USA every year; you have to go out there and really perform,” Bradley said . “Like I said, right now my focus is on being captain, but I'm still a full-time player. I'll still be playing in all the majors and all the big tournaments next year. So I do have a chance to do that. Now. “My focus is on my players and getting them ready to play.”
> On Jon Rahm’s qualifications: The world No. 13 and winner of this year's LIV Golf Season has competed in a number of events on the DP World Tour recently in an attempt to maintain his status, including last week's Dunhill Links Championship (where he finished tied for seventh) and At the Spanish Open (which he lost in the playoffs), Donald said they had talked.
“It's great to see Jon do what he needs to do to stay eligible and see him in Spain where he played really well at Dunhill last week. We've been in constant communication,” Donald said. “I'm talking to all the players, talking to him, talking to Tyrrell (Hatton). It was great to see Tyrrell win at Dunhill last week.”
> About Bethpage Black's course setup: Talk to the course leader sports illustrated and golf writer during an outing on the course last week. Pitches will be adjusted to support U.S. long hitters through shorter roughness. Bradley said he had not been to Bethpage Black recently and downplayed any advantages of the home venue in terms of layout.
“I haven't been to Bethpage in a long time, so I'm not sure about the changes,” he said. “I know the home team definitely has a lot less say in the format than it used to. I remember my first couple, the home team had a very serious say in the course setup and where the tee boxes were.
“In the U.S., I think the tournament is three or four months away and we have no control. We have no control over where the pins are or where the tees are. Really, it doesn't matter how the course is set up. We're going to go out there and compete against each other.”
> About New York fans: As the Ryder Cup has grown in popularity and fanatical fandom over the past 30 years, the expectation is that the New York crowd will take it to another level of partisanship. Both captains were asked if steps could be taken to ensure nothing too egregious happens.
“We know you go to the Ryder Cup on the road and it's going to be tough. It's a big deal. We're all adults and we know how tough it is to go to the Ryder Cup on the road,” Bradley said. “I have every confidence that New York fans will cheer their team proudly and loudly. I don't want them to cross the line and do anything that will affect the flow of the game. But it's going to be a tough atmosphere… We know we have to go “Go out and show up for the fans that support us.”
Donald captained the home team to victory in Paris and will now try to win as away captain.
“The Ryder Cup is special because it's dynamic. The enthusiasm is high. The energy is high. You want to see that in the players. You certainly don't want to see the spirit of the Ryder Cup threatened in any way,” he said. “The PGA of America has measures in place so if there is, you know, an outbreak or anything inappropriate, they will deal with it.
“We're looking forward to playing in front of a New York crowd. It's going to be lively. It's going to be energetic and it's going to be fun.”
