Luke Donald has told Sergio Garcia that regulations do not allow the Spaniard to act as assistant captain at this year’s Ryder Cup and that his only chance to be involved in New York is as a player.
Garcia recently paid outstanding fines to the DP World Tour totaling more than £1 million for switching to the LIV Golf League and after resigning from his home circuit two years ago, the 44-year-old is now a member again.
But while this U-turn means he is eligible to represent Europe at Bethpage Black, as it stands, a little-known rule means he cannot be appointed as an assistant, or, in the future, even captain .
Donald was asked earlier this week about the chances that Garcia – the Ryder Cup’s all-time record scorer and a close friend of the Englishman – could play a role in the blue and gold team room if he fails to suit up qualify or is picked as a wildcard.
But after suggesting a few months ago that he thought this could be a possibility if Garcia returned to “good standing on the Tour”, the Europe skipper now realizes this would be against Tour rules.
“The rules will have to change if Sergio wants to become an assistant,” Donald said. “So I haven’t thought about it much, because that scenario is not allowed at the moment.”
The Tour introduced a rule in 2018 stating that ‘players cannot be a European Ryder Cup Captain or Vice-Captain if they decline membership of the European Tour or fail to meet their minimum event obligation in any season’.
A Saudi-funded rebel league wasn’t even a rumor at the time, and the new provision was implemented to convince big names to lapse their memberships in non-Ryder Cup years.
Because Garcia and other European legends such as Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter surrendered their cards in 2023 after the Tour won a court hearing over the right to issue sanctions, they are ineligible to be part of the management staff.
Depending on the outcome of negotiations between the Saudi Public Investment Fund and the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, this draconian measure could very well be scrapped, but it is highly unlikely that will happen in the next nine months.
So unless Garcia – who is expected to make his first regular Tour start in 30 months in Bahrain in three weeks – can defy the odds as world number 441 to clinch a 10th place in the Ryder Cup, he will appear at the start again. the outside looks in. And compatriot Jon Rahm would be just one European heavyweight who would be stunned if such a situation were to unfold.
“I think it would be very foolish for anyone not to rely on Sergio Garcia’s experience in the Ryder Cup,” Rahm said. “I mean, he’s the best player Europe has ever had, has scored the most points and has shown that time and time again. If he could be vice-captain, I would absolutely lean on him.
Rahm himself joined LIV shortly after making these comments and was also sanctioned by the Tour. Even though he has not yet paid the fines, the two-time national champion is allowed to continue playing on the Tour after an objection.
Rahm, as well as fellow LIV players Tyrrell Hatton, Adrian Meronk, Thomas Pieters and Patrick Reed, will compete in the Tour’s Dubai Desert Classic next week.
Donald is also in that $9 million field. The former world number 1 was here at Abu Dhabi Golf Club this week overseeing the Team Cup, a match between Great & Ireland and Continental Europe that is essentially a dress rehearsal for the Ryder Cup.
And Donald will have been impressed by Tommy Fleetwood’s form as GB&I have taken an almost unassailable 11-4 lead going into the final Sunday. Fleetwood have won three of the three matches. Justin Rose’s team needs just two points from ten singles matches to lift the trophy from Francesco Molinari’s Continentals.
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