Jun 16, 2024; Pinehurst, North Carolina, USA; Sergio Garcia hits from the second tee box during the final round of the U.S. Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Katie Goodale-USA TODAY Sports/ File Photo
(Reuters) - LIV Golf's Sergio Garcia has submitted his application to return to the Europe-based DP World Tour for the 2025 season, a move that breathes life into the Spaniard's hopes of competing in next year's Ryder Cup.
A DP World Tour spokesman confirmed to Reuters on Monday that Garcia submitted his application ahead of the Nov. 17 deadline and paid his fines but must serve his suspensions before he can play again on the European circuit.
The spokesman said the DP World Tour could not disclose details of the sanctions, but some reports said Garcia's fines totalled more than 1 million euros ($1.06 million).
Garcia, who won the 2017 Masters, is listed on the DP World Tour's website as a member under Category 1, a 17-player group that consists of major champions from 2017-2025 and winners of the season-long Race to Dubai rankings from 2017-2024.
The 44-year-old Garcia, Europe's all-time leading Ryder Cup points scorer, had resigned from the DP World Tour in 2023 after being sanctioned for breaching conflicting tournament regulation by participating on the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit.
The decision to resign left Garcia, a 16-times winner on the DP World Tour, ineligible for the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome where Europe reclaimed the trophy from the United States.
In Garcia's last Ryder Cup, the Spaniard went undefeated in the three matches he played with compatriot Jon Rahm in 2021 at Whistling Straits where the United States rolled to an emphatic victory in the biennial event.
Next years' Ryder Cup will be played at Bethpage Black in New York.
($1 = 0.9437 euros)
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
