Sergio Garcia says he is “going to hold off on” giving up his membership of the European-based DP World Tour to see if he could still play in the Ryder Cup.
The 42-year-old is part of the breakaway Saudi-funded LIV Golf series. He recently said he would be quitting the DP World Tour but European players need to be a member of it to be eligible for the Ryder Cup.
“I want to at least see what’s happening when Ryder Cup qualification starts,” Garcia told ESPN.
“See what kind of rules and eligibilities they have in there. “If I agree with what they [are], I’ll definitely keep playing whatever I can on the tour and try to qualify for that Ryder Cup team. “And if not, then we’ll move on. But it is definitely something that is in my mind.”
The next Ryder Cup will take place in Rome in September 2023. Americans need to be members of the PGA Tour, which is banning any of its members that have joined LIV, to be eligible. The DP World Tour has punished but not indefinitely banned LIV golfers.
“I told Keith Pelley (chief executive of the DP World Tour): “I want to keep being a member of the DP World Tour. I want to play my minimum, still, support the tour, still have my eligibilities to make Ryder Cup teams,” said Garcia.
“He said: ‘That’s great, but we got to do what’s best for us. We’ll see what that is.’”
Swede Henrik Stenson was recently removed as Europe’s Ryder Cup captain after deciding to join the controversial LIV Golf series.
“What they did to Henrik, it’s a little bit sad,” said Garcia. The third event of the LIV Golf series will take place in Bedminster, at Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey from July 29-31.
