© Getty Images Sport – Cliff Hawkins / Staff
The Spanish Sergio García, winner of the Augusta Masters in 2017, defined this Wednesday as “silly” to pay the fine imposed on him by the DP World Tour, formerly the European Tour, despite the fact that it will not allow him to play the circuit immediately.
“I was looking at the possibility of playing the European tour this year, of taking membership, but after seeing the players who have kept it, it’s not worth it. I don’t want to pay the fines so they can keep me for a year without playing the tour.
It’s nonsense. I hope this changes,” he said. García, 44, joined LIV Golf, the Saudi golf league, in June 2022, which brought him criticism and a fine from the DP World Tour, also imposed on 16 other golfers, however the Spaniard is the only one who has refused to pay the penalty.
Sergio García, news
For this reason, García has not been able to compete in the Ryder Cup, in which he has represented Europe on 10 occasions and has been the historical points leader of the continent’s team.
Along with García, last December his compatriot Jon Rahm also decided to join the LIV when he could not resist an agreement that is estimated at 500 million dollars. “Jon’s arrival is incredible news, we are delighted that he is with us because he contributes a lot to having players of that quality and makes it more difficult to win,” García added.
García and Rahm are two of the most outstanding names who left the traditional PGA Tour to join the Saudi league, but in addition to them the Arabs have signed other winners of the Augusta Masters such as the Americans Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson.
“In the world of golf there is room for both the LIV and the PGA tour to coexist. There is no need to make comparisons, they are two different products and both have good things and others to improve,” added the former European player in the Ryder Cup.
