Sergio Garcia has returned to the DP World Tour membershp for 2025, with the LIV Golf player rejoining the tour in time for a Ryder Cup year after settling fines levied against him for playing conflicting LIV Golf events.
Garcia is looking to find his way on to the European Ryder Cup team once again, with the dozen-player team heading to Long Island, New York, to play the biennial matches against the Americans at Bethpage State Park's Black Course.
At one point, Garcia was no doubt in line to be a future Ryder Cup captain. Garcia has a tremendous career Ryder Cup record, is a major winner and has a lot of passion for the event. However, he can never be a Ryder Cup captain -- given a 2018 European Tour rule that is still in force today.
As part of membership changes announced for 2018 (including reducing the membership requirement from five to four non-major, non-co-sanctioned events played), a player would give up their chance of being captain if they give up their membership.
The rule states: "Players cannot be a European Ryder Cup captain or vice captain if they decline membership of the European Tour or fail to fulfill their minimum event obligation in any season."
In other words, if a player ever lets their now-DP World Tour membership lapse, they cannot be a Ryder Cup captain, even if they resume their membership.
Luke Donald, the returning victorious European captain from 2023, who took over for LIV-bound Henrik Stenson, mentioned that rule ahead of the Team Cup last week in Abu Dhabi. The rule, which was created to prevent players from skipping DP World Tour events in non-Ryder Cup years, would have to change for Garcia to get a potential chance at the captaincy.
Rory McIlroy actually threatened to break the rule in 2018, suggesting he would drop DP World Tour membership for 2019, which was an off year for the Ryder Cup. However, then European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley talked McIlroy into keeping his membership.
