Garcia indicated it is the added tournament suspension imposed on him that means he will not be formally eligible to compete to tee-up in a full DP World Tour event until the 26th tournament in the 42-tournament 2024/25 wraparound season.
“I’ve paid the fine and happy to now move and see what happens come September”, said Garcia.
“It is something that has weighed on my mind while Angela (wife) and I have discussed the situation often, so it’s something that’s now been addressed and we move on.
“At least now I have the possibility to qualify automatically for Luke’s team and at the same time I have been fortunate enough to have represented Europe many times.
“It’s not like I’ve only just played one, as I’ve been proud to wear the European Team colours often.
“So, it is definitely good for me to be now in a position where I have a chance of qualifying but then I am still going to play well enough that Luke may consider me for his team”.
Garcia resigned his DP World Tour membership in May 2023 after the UK Government backed Sports Resolution board found in favour of the DP World Tour and ratified its right to fine and ban players who competed in LIV Golf events without permission.
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”.
However, in paying a £1m fine it does not mean the DP World Tour is now wide open for Garcia as he has to satisfy a suspension period and as he revealed this means a good six months, or half of the 2025 season before he’ll return to competition as a DP World Tour member.
“When I look at the LIV and Asian Tour schedule for early next year, it will mean that after I’ve met the period of suspension that I won’t play in Europe until the BMW International Open in July”, he said.
“It’s well into the season and I guess realistically I am going to have to play well in the majors and make the most in other Ryder Cup qualifying events like the BMW.
“Though at the end of the day, I am just going to have to play well and if I am not among the leading six automatic qualifiers then I will have to rely on a pick”.
If it is Munich when DP World Tour fans get to see the 37-time winning Spaniard then it will be a first event since September 2022 when he withdrew after the first round of the Tour’s flagship BMW PGA Championship.
It’s understood also that if Donald does not choose Garcia as a Bethpage Park ‘wildcard’ pick then he cannot be chosen as a vice-captain though Garcia is unsure about this.
“I have no idea about that but then I would guess that you can be chosen as a vice-captain but that is something I really have not thought about it”, he said.
Though what Garcia has thought about is the recent Ryder Cup controversy with talk the each of the dozen American team members will be paid $400,000 to compete next September at Bethpage Park.
“I wouldn’t go so far to say that I would want to be paid to play the Ryder Cup but the beautiful thing about the Ryder Cup is that you are playing for pride and you’re representing your country if you are American and for your continent if you are European in our case”, he said.
“It just does not go right with the reasons why the Ryder Cup was first established that you should be paid.
“I am just so thankful to have played the Ryder Cup that I would have turned-up for nothing”.
It prompted asking Garcia what he thought of the present state in the men’s pro game.
“I think we are getting closer and closer to a resolution”, he said.
“Everything seems to be settling down a bit which is nice and while it is going to take a little more time, it does seem to be getting better every month”
I was speaking to Garcia around 6pm local time on the fully floodlit Riyadh course and in the tounament’s Pro-Am that commenced with a shotgun start at 2.30pm local time but knowing also it would end in darkness.
And joining Garcia and his two amateur team members on the first tee and the 10th hole of his round was Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Governor of the Saudi-backed Public Investment Fund (PIF) and backers of the LIV Tour and also the Asian Tour, and hosts of this week’s fifth sixth edition of the PIF Saudi Investment Open.
Al-Rumayyan had his photograph taken with Garcia and after asking Garcia for ‘help’ with the putting line on the first hole, he then sent his tee shots way left down the second, ahead of walking up to Garcia saying: “Well Sergio. That’s me and I will see you tonight, okay? You’re still coming?”
Sergio remarked: “Yes, for sure. See you later on”.
So, following Garcia’s motorised buggy down the second fairway, who do you think found His Excellency’s golf ball?
Bernie was speaking with Garcia ahead of him, posting an opening round of a level par 72 on the opening day of the PIF Saudi International.
The duo of Chinese Taipei’s Wei-lun Chang and Thai Kaewkanjana Sadom lead the field by a shot at seven-under.
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