Garcia set to make DP World Tour return in the Middle East

Sergio Garcia's bid to rejoin the European Ryder Cup team is set to begin at next year’s Bahrain Championship.

The Spaniard resigned from the DP World Tour in May 2023 after a UK Government-backed Sports Resolutions panel upheld the tour’s right to fine and ban players who competed in LIV Golf events without permission.

Garcia was the only one of the 17 sanctioned players who initially refused to pay his £100,000 fine, with the DP World Tour stating he had “given no indication” of plans to settle the penalty.

However, last month, Garcia - who holds the record as the Ryder Cup's leading points scorer - changed course. He has now paid his outstanding fines, which exceeded £1 million, and agreed to serve tournament suspensions, paving the way for his eligibility to compete on the DP World Tour in 2025.

It was initially expected that Garcia would not return to golf’s global circuit until spring 2025, given the number of suspensions he must serve. But It now looks set to be as early as next month, with the 2017 Masters champion revealing his comeback could take place in the Middle East.

“Looking at it, I think it was like nine weeks so my first start will be… my possible first start will be Bahrain,” Garcia told bunkered at the Saudi International.

The Bahrain Championship, scheduled for January 30 to February 2, offers a convenient location for Sergio Garcia’s comeback, taking place just an hour away from Riyadh, where LIV Golf’s 2025 season-opener is set to be held the following week.

Ryder Cup return

Garcia’s return to the DP World Tour is driven by his ambition to secure a 12th Ryder Cup appearance.

Before rejoining the Tour last month, European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald confirmed he had been in discussions with Garcia about the possibility of the Spaniard returning to the team for next year’s showdown against the USA.

While Garcia has regained eligibility to compete on the Wentworth-based circuit - a requirement for Ryder Cup qualification - his path back to the team for the first time since 2021 remains challenging.

Balancing commitments to the Asian Tour and LIV Golf, the 44-year-old expects to play only “two or three” DP World Tour events, all while serving the tournament suspensions he will incur for still playing LIV Golf events.

To automatically qualify for Donald’s team, Garcia would need to finish in the top six on the Ryder Cup qualification list. Achieving that would require exceptional performances in his limited DP World Tour appearances and Major Championships. If he falls short, his only remaining route onto the team will be as one of Donald’s six Captain’s Picks.

“Hopefully I play so well in the majors and in the European Tour events that I don’t need a pick,” he said.

“That’s my goal.”