Spanish golf stars Sergio Garcia and David Puig are making their comeback to the DP World Tour, just weeks before the new LIV Golf season kicks off.
Garcia, who hasn’t played on the Tour for over two years, will tee up at the Bahrain Championship on January 30th. It’s a pretty big deal, considering his dramatic exit from the Tour back in 2022.
Remember that controversy? The 2017 Masters champ walked off during the BMW PGA Championship’s first round without explaining why. He was later spotted at a Texas football game while the tournament was still going on.
Things got even messier in May 2023 when Garcia quit the DP World Tour after they started fining players for competing in LIV Golf events without permission.
But here’s where it gets interesting: Garcia’s the all-time points leader in the Ryder Cup, and he’s clearly not done with that legacy. He rejoined the Tour in November after paying his fines, getting back his spot in the top exemption category.
With the next Ryder Cup coming to Bethpage Black in September, Garcia’s timing isn’t random. He needs these Tour appearances to stay eligible for the competition, whether he’s hoping to catch team captain Luke Donald’s eye for a wildcard pick or qualify on his own.
As for David Puig, he’s taking a slightly different path. He’ll start at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship in the UAE, then join Garcia in Bahrain.
Puig’s been on fire lately. In his three DP World Tour appearances in 2024, he grabbed:
– Third place at the Open de Espana
– Fourth at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
– 12th at the Andalucia Masters
The catch? He wasn’t actually a Tour member during those impressive runs, so they didn’t count toward Ryder Cup points. Despite being one of golf’s hottest young talents, he’s still not eligible for the big team event.
Both players had strong showings in LIV Golf last year. Garcia finished third overall and grabbed his first LIV win in Andalucia, while Puig landed at 26th with a strong third-place finish in Houston.
They’ll be looking to carry that momentum into the new LIV season, which starts February 6th in Riyadh. Their team, Fireballs GC, finished sixth in last year’s standings.
