Garcia nurses Ryder hope as Johnson quits the PGA
Sergio Garcia is refusing to accept that his Ryder Cup odyssey has ended and is retaining his European Tour membership despite resigning from the PGA Tour.
Dustin Johnson announced at the Centurion Club yesterday morning that he had made himself ineligible to play for the United States after ripping up his Tour card, following countryman Kevin Na as well as Garcia, who has cancelled his playing privileges in the US after 23 years.
After Telegraph Sport exclusively revealed that Garcia was signing with the Saudi rebel circuit – which stages its first $25million event in Hemel Hempstead this week – he made no secret of his plans when embarking on a ferocious tirade at a rules official at a PGA Tour event in Charlotte in April.
“I can’t wait to leave this tour,” Garcia shouted at the official. “A couple more weeks and I won’t have to deal with you [the referee] anymore.”
By quitting the US tour, Garcia has effectively avoided the sanctions promised by its commissioner Jay Monahan – most notably, a lifetime ban – but the Spaniard is determined to retain his playing privileges on his home circuit and, barring suspension, still be available for Henrik Stenson’s Europe team in Rome next year.
As the leading points scorer in Ryder Cup history, Garcia’s availability would be important for Stenson and it will be intriguing to see the reaction of the DP World Tour – formerly the European Tour.
Unlike Monahan, DP World Tour chief executive Keith Pelley has not indicated what punishments he would issue and the ball is very much in his court.
“The players are saying, ‘I will leave the PGA Tour’ but still want to play the European Tour,” a wellplaced insider said. “It’s interesting, as if the European Tour let them do that, then there is no doubt they will fall out with the PGA Tour.
“But the likes of Sergio, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood and others at Centurion won’t resign from the European Tour, as that would make them ineligible for the Ryder Cup – either playing or captaining. So they are waiting to see what Wentworth does.”
Na posed this possibility, when explaining what he meant by “free agency” as a reason for resigning his PGA Tour membership. “I’m committed to play LIV Golf, but also LIV doesn’t tie me down to only play LIV,” the world No33 said. “I can go play Asian Tour, I can go play Korean Tour, maybe even the DP World Tour.”
Johnson does not seem to be encumbered by any such uncertainty, coolly throwing in his US card after 14 years, more than
$70million and 24 titles, including two majors, and all but shrugging his shoulders when asked about his future in the Ryder Cup.
“I’ve resigned my membership of the [PGA] Tour and I’m going to play here for now,” Johnson, who has played in five Ryder Cups, said. “The Ryder Cup is unbelievable and is something that has definitely meant a lot to me. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to do that again but I don’t make the rules.”
When asked what he thought about those who would say he was putting his money before his country, Johnson replied: “I chose what’s best for me and my family.”
Last week, Telegraph Sport reported that Johnson had been paid $150million up front.
Graeme Mcdowell reiterated his desire for the DP World Tour to show leniency towards the Europe veterans. “The players here have done a great amount for the Ryder Cup product and it would be a shame to see those guys not invited back,” Mcdowell, who holed the winning putt at Celtic Manor in 2010, said.
Johnson and Mcdowell were named as captains of the four-man teams, as was Phil Mickelson, who is due on site today for the pro-am.
There are 12 teams, with names including “4 Aces” to “Niblicks’ to “HY Flyers” to “Majesticks”. The last is captained by Poulter and is allenglish, also comprising Lee Westwood, Laurie Canter and Sam Horsfield.