Golf-Garcia to 'hold off' on plan to resign from DP World Tour

FILE PHOTO: Golf - The 150th Open Championship - Old Course, St Andrews, Scotland, Britain - July 17, 2022 Spain's Sergio Garcia during the final round REUTERS/Andrew Boyers/File Photo

(Reuters) - Former Masters champion Sergio Garcia, one of the more high-profile players to join LIV Golf, has for now shelved plans to resign from the DP World Tour so that he can remain eligible for Ryder Cup competition, ESPN on Monday reported him saying.

The 42-year-old Spaniard said after the British Open two weeks ago that he was probably going to leave his home European circuit where he was "not feeling loved" but the Ryder Cup stalwart has reportedly had a change of heart.

"When I finished the Open Championship (last) Sunday, I said that I was most likely going to resign my membership from the (DP World) Tour," Garcia was quoted as saying by ESPN.

"That obviously meant not being eligible for the Ryder Cup because you have to be a member.

"But thanks to the things that Jon Rahm said, and I had a couple of good conversations with guys on the (DP World) Tour, I'm going to hold off on that."

Spanish world number five Rahm said this month it bothered him that Garcia, one of Europe's best Ryder Cup players, would not be eligible to play the biennial event if he relinquished his membership and hoped a solution could be reached.

Those words carried plenty of weight as they helped convince Garcia, who has already given up his PGA Tour membership, to wait a little longer before making a decision with regard to his status with the DP World Tour.

"I want to at least see what's happening when the Ryder Cup qualification starts. See what kind of rules and eligibilities they have in there," Garcia added.

"If I agree with what they (are), I'll definitely keep playing whatever I can on the tour and try to qualify for that Ryder Cup team.

"And, if not, then we'll move on. But it is definitely something that is in my mind."

Henrik Stenson was removed as captain of the 2023 European Ryder Cup squad shortly before the Swede announced he was joining the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series that has lured players with the promise of big money.

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Ken Ferris)