Ian Poulter reveals Sergio Garcia's return to Ryder Cup team will come at a huge cost

Ian Poulter has revealed how Sergio Garcia - or LIV Golf - face a total fine of £2.4m with the DP World Tour if he still wishes to become eligible to make Luke Donald's 2025 European Ryder Cup team.

Poulter, 48, made his feelings be known about Garcia, 44, during an interview with Sports Illustrated's Matt Vincenzi.

News emerged last week that Garcia had paid off his latest LIV Golf fines that surpassed the £1m mark and that he had successfully submitted his application to return to membership of the DP World Tour for the 2025 season.

Garcia, who won the 2017 Masters, submitted his application before the DP World Tour's 17 November deadline.

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That fell on the final day of the 2024 DP World Tour season where Rory McIlroy, who was groomsman at Garcia's wedding in 2017, sweeped up both the DP World Tour Championship and Race to Dubai titles.

The Spaniard will now just need to serve a two-month suspension before he is able to officially return to the former European Tour circuit that he has won on 16 times.

Garcia confirmed to GolfMagic that his suspension on the DP World Tour will last a total of nine weeks.

That suspension immediately kicked in from the Australian PGA last week. 

But despite Garcia's imminent return to the DP World Tour in 2025, his LIV Golf peer Poulter believes it's all going to come at a heavy price if he does stil want to become eligible for Donald's 2025 European Ryder Cup team. 

As a result of a sports arbitration panel's decision to ratify the sanctions imposed by the DP World Tour against LIV Golf players last season, Garcia will still be penalised by the DP World Tour when he competes in all 14 of LIV Golf's tournaments in 2025. 

Garcia will be fined £100,000 at each tournament he plays on LIV Golf in 2025, equating to an additional £1.4m prior to the £1m he has already had to stump up to the DP World Tour.

In Poulter's latest interview with Vincenzi, the Englishman revealed how LIV Golf players have all signed an indemnity policy that covers their fines.

But despite that, Poulter will not be following Garcia back to the DP World Tour or Ryder Cup team, at least for now. 

"It’s going to be expensive," Poulter told Vincenzi of Garcia's return. 

"For Sergio to be eligible to play in that Ryder Cup he would have had £1m worth of fines paid already. 

"Sergio will play 14 LIV events next year, finable of £100,000 a week.

"He or LIV would have spent £2.4m to give him that freedom to have a chance. That’s a lot of money spent to try and make a team."

Garcia is very much hoping to go ahead with everything as it stands and make his way into a joint-record 11th European Ryder Cup team at Bethpage Black in New York from 26-28 September 2025. 

"Yeah it's all confirmed, I am a member of the DP World Tour again so very happy about it," Garcia told us here at GolfMagic last week. 

"I'm really excited to be back being part of the DP World Tour and excited to play a few events next year, support the Tour and obviously have the possibility of being eligible for the Ryder Cup.

"It's now just time to play good golf and do some nice things."

Given Garcia will be playing a full schedule on LIV Golf in 2025, and his participation in all four majors is not guaranteed other than The Masters, he will more than likely be relying on earning one of Donald's six captain's picks. 

Poulter thinks it will be touch and go whether Garcia makes the team. 

"I don’t know if Luke has had any conversations with Sergio at length," Poulter told Vincenzi.

"Obviously, Sergio finished third last year on the order of merit in LIV which shows what Sergio is still capable of. 

"As far as his chances of a) playing his way into contention, to make an automatic pick – and or how much will he be considered by Luke and what would it take for that to happen… I don’t know how many tournaments Sergio is earmarking to play in Europe. I guess we’ll have to wait and see."

Should Garcia earn a place on Donald's side then he would also match the feat of English duo Sir Nick Faldo and Lee Westwood for 11 appearances on a European Ryder Cup team.

That is just one appearance shy of the all-time Ryder Cup appearance record held by LIV Golf's Phil Mickelson with 12.

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One record that Garcia does already hold is individual points at the Ryder Cup.

Garcia is the all-time record Ryder Cup points scorer with 28.5.

The Spaniard's record is 25–13–7 (W-L-H).

Garcia has been on six winning Ryder Cup teams in his 10 career matches. 

Next Page: 

• Ian Poulter reveals when he will quit LIV Golf

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