Sergio Garcia is odd man out as 16 out of 17 players pay DP World Tour fines

Sergio Garcia is the only one out of 17 players not to have paid their fines for playing in LIV Golf’s inaugural event last year without an official release, according to the DP World Tour.
Luke Donald, who was one of Europe's vice-captains, pictured with Lee Westwood, Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia during the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin. Picture: Warren Little/Getty Images.Luke Donald, who was one of Europe's vice-captains, pictured with Lee Westwood, Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia during the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin. Picture: Warren Little/Getty Images.
Luke Donald, who was one of Europe's vice-captains, pictured with Lee Westwood, Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia during the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin. Picture: Warren Little/Getty Images.

The players were each fined £100,000 for serious breaches of the circuit’s Conflicting Tournament Regulation last June.

The sanction was originally imposed in July 2022 and then upheld last month by an independent panel appointed by Sport Resolutions.

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In a statement, the DP World Tour revealed that Richard Bland, Laurie Canter, Branden Grace, Justin Harding, Sam Horsfield, Martin Kaymer, Pablo Larrazabal, Graeme McDowell, Shaun Norris, Wade Ormsby, Adrian Otaegui, Ian Poulter, Patrick Reed, Charl Schwartzel, Lee Westwood and Bernd Wiesberger had all stumped up their fines.

Sergio Garcia is the only player not to have stumped up his DP World Tour fine for playing in a LIV Golf event without an official release. Picture: Harry How/Getty Images.Sergio Garcia is the only player not to have stumped up his DP World Tour fine for playing in a LIV Golf event without an official release. Picture: Harry How/Getty Images.
Sergio Garcia is the only player not to have stumped up his DP World Tour fine for playing in a LIV Golf event without an official release. Picture: Harry How/Getty Images.

But it added: “Sergio Garcia has not paid his £100,000 fine, nor has he given any indication that he intends to. We will therefore take appropriate action if he continues not to respect the Sport Resolutions panel’s decision.”

As confirmed yesterday, Garcia announced his resignation from the DP World Tour along with Bland, Poulter and Westwood. In quitting the tour, all four players ruled themselves out of being eligible for this year’s Ryder Cup in Rome.

The statement went on: “Details of further sanctions for players who breached the Conflicting Tournament Regulation by playing in subsequent conflicting events without a release will be announced next week.”

Meanwhile, European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald said he is “sad” and Rory McIlroy described it as a “shame” that Westwood, Poulter and Garcia will be unavailable for the team after they quit the tour.

Speaking after the opening round of the DS Automobiles Italian Open at Marco Simone Golf Club, where the Ryder Cup will be hosted, Donald told BBC Sport: “It’s sad we’ve got to this point, but this was always a possibility. “I played with all three and they’ve been stalwarts of, and given a lot to, both the Ryder Cup and European Tour.

“I have a little more clarity now. I know they’re not an option to play in, or be any part of my team. It is a shame. They’ve got a lot of history when it comes to the Ryder Cup.

“Ultimately, this is their choice and I wish them well. They feel like this was the best choice for them and now I’ve got choices to make that are best for me."

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McIlroy, who will be one of the leading lights on Donald’s team along with fellow major winners Jon Rahm and Matthew Fitzpatrick, was asked about Westwood, Garcia and Poulter resigning as DP World Tour members after his opening circuit in the PGA Tour’s Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow.

“I think it's a shame, right?” said McIlroy. “I think it's a shame that you've got the highest-points scorer ever in the Ryder Cup (Garcia) and two guys that. when they look back on their career, a big chunk of their legacy is the roles that they have played in the Ryder Cup for Europe.

“For those three guys to not captain Europe one day, it's a shame. But, as the DP World Tour said in their statement, at the end of the day that was their choice and they knew that these were potentially going to be the consequences and here we are.”

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