The latest sign of a thaw in relations between the golfing world and LIV rebels is expected to emerge on Wednesday, with Tyrrell Hatton named in the European Ryder Cup team warm-up game in Abu Dhabi. However, Sergio García will miss the event despite paying a fine of around £1 million to rejoin the DP World Tour.
The Team Cup will be held at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club in January with 10 players per team, with the continental teams taking on Great Britain and Ireland. Francesco Molinari and Justin Rose will captain the latest edition of the tournament, which European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald sees as a means of integrating and evaluating players. He has previously described the Middle East Championship as a “dress rehearsal” for the Ryder Cup.
Hatton competes in the 2018, 2021 and 2023 Ryder Cups. However, his future in the biennial tournament has been called into question after switching to the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Tour in January this year. Hatton is appealing the sanction imposed on him by DP World (formerly the European Tour), which allowed him to compete in end-of-season tournaments and retain his membership. Hatton soon returned to the spotlight. He was heavily criticized for breaking a club during the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai at the weekend. However, the 33-year-old's form has also seen him rise to third in the European Ryder Cup rankings.
The Englishman's desire to continue playing in the Ryder Cup and Donald's willingness to have him will be underlined by his participation in the Teams Cup. Hatton played in what was then the Hero Cup, a precursor to last year's European defeat of the United States. Hatton will join the likes of Tommy Fleetwood in Rose's GB&I squad. Continental Europe may include Denmark's Hojgaard twins Rasmus and Nikolai.
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Garcia doesn't have the space to return to a team environment so quickly. Although the Spaniard has settled the fine issue, it is understood that the extent of his suspension on the DP World Tour will now prevent him from participating in the Team Cup or even the subsequent Dubai Desert Classic. Garcia won't be able to return to the DP World Tour until February at the earliest.