Sergio Garcia is heading back to the DP World Tour (Image: Ben Hsu/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Nine LIV Golf players, including former Masters champion Sergio Garcia, have signed up for the DP World Tour in 2025.
The list of new members also includes Tyrrell Hatton, Jon Rahm, Adrian Meronk, Dean Burmester, Joaquin Niemann, Thomas Pieters, Patrick Reed and Lucas Herbert.
Interestingly, Garcia is the only one who didn’t participate in this season’s DP World Tour. The Spanish golfer resigned his membership back in 2023 after an arbitration panel upheld the tour’s right to penalise players who took part in LIV Golf events without permission.
This decision was a blow for Garcia, a founding member of the breakaway LIV league in 2022, as it resulted in him being excluded from the Ryder Cup. To be considered for selection, European players must be active members of the tour.
Garcia, who has participated in 10 Ryder Cups, holds the record for the most points in the event’s history with 28.5, boasting 25 wins against just 13 losses and seven ties. Despite being 44, he remains a top-tier player, having won the LIV Golf Andalucia in July and finishing third in the season-long order of merit.
However, he had to watch from home as his European allies defeated the Americans in Rome to regain the Ryder Cup 13 months ago. But now, the 2017 Masters champion has reopened the door to play in the Ryder Cup again.
Patrick Reed will also rejoin the DP World tour (Image: Getty Images)
The DP World Tour confirmed to Mirror Sport that Garcia has paid the substantial fines, totalling over £1million, for participating in LIV Golf events.
Although he still faces a suspension period before returning to the DP World Tour, regaining his membership makes him eligible for the Ryder Cup once again.
Garcia’s desire to join Luke Donald’s team at Bethpage Black next autumn is well-known. “He thinks he can play,” Donald said in September.
“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.”
This development also has implications for the American Ryder Cup team. Among the nine LIV Golfers who may compete on the DP World Tour next season, Patrick Reed is the only American, securing his spot due to his 2019 Masters win.
Reed’s eligibility to compete on the DP World Tour could give him an edge over his fellow American golfers who are also aiming for Ryder Cup qualification but don’t have the same privileges.
Reed will be able to gather world ranking points, a benefit not available at LIV events, boosting his chances of taking part in the majors and subsequently earning a place on Keegan Bradley’s 12-man USA team.