Hong Kong Open: Justin Rose welcomes return of ‘still great’ Sergio Garcia to DP World Tour
Spaniard’s decision to be fined and suspended for Ryder Cup eligibility probably means he misses ‘the events that matter’, says Englishman
Justin Rose has welcomed the news of Sergio Garcia’s return to the DP World Tour, and says the Spaniard, whom he believes is “still a great player”, may have realised what was important to him as he reaches the “golden years” of his career.
With the Ryder Cup returning to the US next year, Garcia has decided to pay US$1.3 million in fines and accept a nine-week suspension to make him eligible to play in the tournament for what would be a record-equalling 11th time.
Speaking ahead of this week’s Link Hong Kong Open, Rose said while he did not believe his former teammate, or the likes of Jon Rahm and Tyrell Hatton, regretted “the soirée over there [LIV]”, he thought they “missed the events that truly matter”.
“Sergio, especially you know, the Ryder Cup was a huge part of his life, and obviously the DP World Tour gives him that opportunity to legitimately make the team,” Rose said.
“I believe he’s still playing really, really well, and good for Sergio that he believes in his game. We’re all getting a little bit older – you want to make the most of these last golden years of your career and spend them playing in events that truly move the needle for you.”
Garcia has the most individual match wins (25) and has scored the most points (28½) in Ryder Cup history. He was 19 when he made his cup debut in 1999 and appeared in his 10th competition in 2021. Only Lee Westwood and Nick Faldo, with 11 appearances, have played in more for Europe.
