World Exclusive: Sergio Garcia reveals he's paid off LIV Golf fines for dramatic Ryder Cup comeback
Sergio Garcia tells GolfMagic he's "really excited to be back on the DP World Tour" as he goes in search of yet another Ryder Cup record in 2025.
Sergio Garcia has told GolfMagic he is "very happy" and "really excited" to return to the DP World Tour next season as he goes in search of matching an all-time record for European Ryder Cup appearances in 2025.
Garcia, 44, has now paid off his LIV Golf fines that surpassed the £1m mark and submitted his application to return to membership of the DP World Tour for the 2025 season.
The 2017 Masters champion submitted his application before the 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.
Garcia will now just need to serve a short suspension before he is able to officially return to the former European Tour circuit that he has won on 16 times.
The 2017 Masters champion has confirmed to GolfMagic that his suspension on the DP World Tour will last a total of nine weeks.
That kicks in from the DP World Tour's first event of the new 2025 season at the BMW Australian PGA Championship this week.
Sergio Garcia returns to DP World Tour in 2025 and could now make Ryder Cup team
Garcia is now a member of the DP World Tour for the 2025 season under Category 1, which is reserved for winners of the Race to Dubai Rankings (2017 to 2024) and the four majors (2017 to 2025).
"Yeah it's all confirmed, I am a member of the DP World Tour again so very happy about it," Garcia told GolfMagic Editor Andy Roberts.
"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."
If Garcia can do exactly that and continue to play well then he will give himself every chance of competing on Luke Donald's 2025 European Ryder Cup team at Bethpage Black in New York from 26-28 September.
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.
European Ryder Cup captain Donald was pressed for comment recently about whether Garcia could indeed make his 2025 team.
"He thinks he can play," Donald said. "He wants to play. I don’t think he has talked to me about being an assistant captain, but again, he would have to re-join the tour for him to be eligible. He’s certainly very interested in doing that. He understands everything that’s involved and again, the decision has to go to him whether he’s prepared to do all that. But certainly we’ve had that discussion."
Garcia resigned from the DP World Tour in May 2023 after a sports arbitration panel ratified the sanctions imposed on him and other Tour pros that joined LIV Golf without releases.
The DP World Tour then revealed Garcia was the only one of 17 players initially sanctioned not to have paid his £100,000 fine, "nor has he given any indication that he intends to."
It is understood Garcia's fines on the DP World Tour ended up exceeding £1m in total.
Garcia last played in a DP World Tour event in September 2022.
That came at the BMW PGA where he withdrew after an opening 76.
Garcia only played in two majors in 2024.
He missed the cut at The Masters in April but finished T12 at the US Open.
Garcia won his first LIV Golf title on home soil in Andalucia during the summer.
GolfMagic spoke at length to Garcia in October 2024 ahead of his FORE Kids ATX event.
Garcia spoke to us about a number of different topics including all things DP World Tour, Ryder Cup and LIV Golf.
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