LIV Golf's Garcia to be targeted after Ryder Cup star refuses to pay £100k fine!
Sergio Garcia was reportedly the only LIV Golf player who has not paid his £100,000 fine.
Sergio Garcia was the only LIV Golf player who has not paid his £100,000 fine imposed by the DP World Tour for teeing it up in the rival league's inaugural event last June without permission.
As reported on Wednesday, Garcia and a flurry of Ryder Cup legends resigned their memberships from their home circuit, making them ineligible for this September's event in Italy at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club.
It appears to bring about the sad, anticlimactic end to the glittering Ryder Cup careers of the likes of Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Garcia.
In a statement sent to GolfMagic on Thursday evening, the DP World Tour said:
"The players were each fined £100,000 – a sanction originally imposed in July 2022 and upheld last month by an independent panel appointed by Sport Resolutions.
"The 16 players are: Richard Bland, Laurie Canter, Branden Grace, Justin Harding, Sam Horsfield, Martin Kaymer, Pablo Larrazabal, Graeme McDowell, Shaun Norris, Wade Ormsby, Adrian Otaegui, Ian Poulter, Patrick Reed, Charl Schwartzel, Lee Westwood and Bernd Wiesberger.
"Sergio Garcia has not paid his £100,000 fine, nor has he given any indication that he intends to. We will therefore take appropriate action if he continues not to respect the Sport Resolutions panel’s decision.
"As confirmed yesterday, Garcia announced his resignation from the DP World Tour alongside Richard Bland, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood.
"Details of further sanctions for players who breached the Conflicting Tournament Regulation by playing in subsequent conflicting events without a release, will be announced next week."The trio, along with England's Richard Bland, said they had 'no option' but to offer their resignations after the punishments were imposed.
In a statement, DP World Tour thanked the players for their contributions, in particular to Garcia, Westwood and Poulter for the 'significant' part they have played in a number of Ryder Cup successes.
On Wednesday, the DP World Tour said:
Related: Westy blasts decision
Now it has been confirmed that 16 of the 17 players who violated the DP World Tour's conflicting event release policy and joined LIV Golf have paid the £100,000 fine that was levied against them by the circuit.
The circuit say that Garcia has not paid his fine nor given any indication that he intends to, adding:
The fines were originally stayed but just before the 87th Masters it was confirmed that LIV players who brought the action had been ruled against.
European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald told BBC Sport their resignations were 'a shame'.
"It's sad we've got to this point but this was always a possibility," he said.
Donald added:
Rory McIlroy also echoed Donald's sentiments.
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