Sergio García made plain his disquiet with the DP World Tour, formerly known as the European Tour, after his fourth round at the Open. García’s imminent resignation from this tour will remove him from future Ryder Cups as player, vice-captain or captain.
There will be further turmoil for the European Ryder Cup scene if increasing speculation linking Henrik Stenson with the rebel LIV tour comes to fruition. Stenson is Europe’s captain for 2023 in Rome but would be immediately stripped of that title if he aligns himself with LIV. Stenson has repeatedly refused the opportunity to distance himself from a LIV switch.
García, Europe’s all-time leading Ryder Cup points scorer, said: “I am quite clear about what I am going to do with the European circuit. Probably leave it. Honestly, I want to play where they love me. I like to feel loved and sincerely in the European Tour I don’t feel loved now.
“I have what I have and I am very happy with it and I want to enjoy it to the fullest. I’ll play less, I’ll be home more. If I don’t play big, then I don’t play them, but honestly I don’t care much either. I feel sorry for the Ryder Cup but because of how I’m playing I wouldn’t be for Ryder either… my resignation is not official but I’m going to make it effective.
“There are comments that do not make you feel good. I have given more than half of my life to the European Tour and feel that because you make a personal and professional decision and look, once for you, they treat you like that, it’s not worth it. And that I was going to continue on the European Tour. There are things that can be done differently. What they are doing is a shame because the European Tour is going to become the fifth [best] in the world.”
A crowd favourite for the majority of his 25 years on the Tour, García was an incredibly popular Masters winner in 2017. As a former champion, with LIV golfers unable to accumulate world ranking points to qualify for future major championships, Augusta is the only one he would be guaranteed to play.
“When Thomas Bjørn – former Ryder Cup captain – came to the BMW Championship and told us: ‘We don’t love any of you and all players say it,’” García claimed. “I already have an age and had enough suffering to be enduring nonsense like that.”
In response to García’s comments, Bjørn tweeted on Sunday that he had “never spoken to Sergio about this subject”. García’s comments have grown increasingly erratic in recent months. He was caught on camera screaming at a rules official during the Wells Fargo Championship in May, saying, “I can’t wait to leave this tour. I can’t wait to get out of here. A couple of more weeks and I won’t have to deal with you any more.”
When asked on Sunday if he enjoyed his four rounds at St Andrews, García bluntly replied: “Not very much. I enjoyed the crowd, but that was about it.”
