Report: Sergio Garcia Offered to Pay Fines to Get Into Ryder Cup; DP World Tour Says ‘No’

After a feud that lasted over a year, Sergio Garcia reportedly agreed to pay his DP World Tour fines in order to play in this year’s Ryder Cup. However, the DPWT, which is the majority controller of the European team, passed on the offer.

The Telegraph, out of the United Kingdom, reported the news that Garcia wanted back on the team after resigning his DP World Tour membership earlier in 2023. The report went on to say that the DPWT wouldn’t accept the fines because Garcia had already resigned his membership.

“They also said they’d play in whatever events we wanted, apart from those that clashed with the remaining LIV tournaments,” the Telegraph’s source said. “But it was explained that, despite the ongoing peace talks, as he had resigned his membership, he is not eligible to join until next year.”

Sky Sports understands Sergio Garcia enquired about paying his outstanding £700k DP World Tour fines in a bid to be available for this year’s Ryder Cup ⛳

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) September 18, 2023

Neither Garcia nor the DPWT commented on the report.

Garcia has participated in 10 Ryder Cups, and his 28.5 points earned is a Ryder Cup record. Even in the 19-9 destruction of Team Europe by the U.S. in 2021, Garcia earned three of those nine points.

Jon Rahm has been a proponent of keeping his countryman involved, saying last week, “I think it would be really stupid for anybody not to lean on Sergio Garcia’s experience in the Ryder Cup.”

“The team has moved on. The game has moved on.”

11-time European Ryder Cup team member @NickFaldo006 on Sergio Garcia’s absence from the Ryder Cup. pic.twitter.com/kkmdu9AeuL

— Golf Today (@GCGolfToday) September 18, 2023

DP World Tour members who played for LIV Golf without permission were fined 100,000 pounds per event. After a judicial panel upheld the fines, Garcia had a bill of 700,000 pounds before resigning from the DPWT.

With the DPWT a part of the framework agreement that will bring the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) together, this may just be a temporary blip in Garcia’s Ryder Cup career. But in the meantime, he will not be a part of the proceedings for just the second time this century.

Cover Image via Sky Sports