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Garcia to remain on DP World Tour after change of heart

Stuart Franklin / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Sergio Garcia won't be giving up his DP World Tour membership, after all.

The Spanish golfer changed his mind after hearing countryman Jon Rahm stick up for him.

"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 told ESPN's Michael Collins. "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. 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. 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."

Rahm said after The Open he wants Garcia on the European Ryder Cup squad and was disappointed at how the DP World Tour was treating his fellow Spaniard.

Garcia gave up his PGA TOUR membership when he joined LIV Golf. While the European circuit hasn't suspended him due to his participation in the Saudi-backed rival league, the DP Tour did remove Henrik Stenson as captain of the European Ryder Cup squad when the Swede joined LIV last week.

"I told (DP World Tour CEO) Keith Pelley, 'I want to keep being a member of the DP World Tour. I want to play my minimum, still support the tour, still have my eligibilities to make Ryder Cup teams,'" Garcia added. "He said, 'That's great, but we've got to do what's best for us. We'll see what that is.'"

Garcia has been a fixture on the European Ryder Cup side for over two decades. The 42-year-old became the team's all-time leading points scorer in 2018.

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