Oh Sergio! Spanish golfer Sergio Garcia is returning to the DP World Tour. No surprise there, I suppose, but the way he announced it was so typical of the Spaniard, a man who in his time has managed to offend fellow players, fans and officials alike.
He wrote on social media: "In golf, everything is earned and nothing is given. Let’s get to work.
"Next season I’ll be playing on the DP World Tour. This tour has been a huge part of my career from the very beginning, and I’m proud to call it home again. I’m also keeping my options open for a return to the PGA Tour.
"And probably the most exciting part for me is strengthening personal relationships, both new and old."
You will forgive me for doing a double-take when I read "I’m proud to call it home again." The truth is that he has only come back because LIV has effectively collapsed and he has nowhere else to go. And "strengthening personal relationships"? I am sure that many of the individuals he has offended may have something to say about that.
And, finally, "keeping my options open for a return to the PGA Tour".
(Image Credit: LIV Golf)
Before we go any further, I would remind you of something Garcia said at the PGA Tour’s Wells Fargo Championship in 2022 after a run-in with a rules official: "I can’t wait to leave this tour (the PGA Tour)…just a couple more weeks until I don’t have to deal with you anymore."
And then there was his outrageous behaviour at the 2022 BMW International Open on the DP World Tour. It was widely reported that Garcia became angry during the tournament and criticised the circuit and fellow players.
"Sergio flew off the handle, shouting ‘this tour is s—, you’re all f—–, should have taken the Saudi money,'" the Daily Telegraph reported at the time, adding that fellow golfer Robert MacIntyre witnessed the incident and was hugely upset by Garcia’s conduct. The Scot went on to post on social media:
"Amazing how fast you can lose respect for someone that you’ve looked up to all your life."
Garcia’s announcement has not gone unnoticed. This is how Eddie Pepperell reacted: "This has to be Sergio trolling us? Surely. Elite level s***housery, this. Or has he got dementia?"
The final comment is a reference to Garcia forgetting about all the people he has upset. Remember that this is a golfer who once spat in a hole, who smashed his driver at the 2026 Masters, who routinely destroys bunkers and who has bad-mouthed both the PGA and DP World Tour.
Did he honestly expect to be welcomed back with open arms? I make no secret of the fact that Garcia is my least favourite tour pro. Time and again he has behaved like a spoilt child and time and again he has been forgiven. He has repeatedly set a shocking example to youngsters who would have looked up to him, and his behaviour has repeatedly fallen way short of what is acceptable.
He has also said that he is working hard on his game, with the aim of making Luke Donald’s European Ryder Cup team next year. Perish the thought.
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