Sergio Garcia is set to return to the DP World Tour in the coming months after leaving the PGA Tour to join the LIV Golf setup, and his former European ally Justin Rose has spoken on his longevity
Justin Rose has commented on the career endurance of his long-time European peer Sergio Garcia, as the LIV Golf standout’s comeback to the DP World Tour approaches.
Garcia, having switched from the PGA Tour to the LIV Golf circuit alongside big names like Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, and Brooks Koepka, has consistently been one of Europe’s top talents, sharing the limelight with Rose throughout their careers. Both have remained competitive forces in golf well into their forties.
Rose recently demonstrated his prowess at the previous month’s Masters, narrowly missing out on securing his second major title after being edged out by Rory McIlroy, who completed his Grand Slam victory in a thrilling playoff at Augusta National.
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In contrast, Garcia has rediscovered his stride on the LIV tour in the last two years, securing third place in the annual standings for 2024 and earning his second win on the Saudi-funded league in Hong Kong this year. On the flip side, back at the PGA Tour, Rose found his groove on Friday.
At age 44, Rose struck a remarkable six-under-par 66 during his second round at The Memorial, rallying from a challenging first 18 holes.
Speaking post-round, Rose reflected on his sustained success in golf, making note of both Garcia and Adam Scott, a fellow Masters champion.
“Listen, Adam’s a huge benchmark for me, and I think I am for him,” he remarked. “We’re both within a couple of weeks of each other in terms of age. Sergio as well. We’re sort of all, like, around 1980. I think Sergio still plays good golf.
“Obviously, not seeing as much of him anymore, to really kind of go head-to-head. But, yeah, I think we’re the three players that have kind of kept the form — in terms of just being out on Tour and competing and popping our names up on the leaderboard once in a while, we’re probably the guys doing well at that.”
Rose and Garcia have spent most of their professional years together, competing in Europe and the U.S., but recent times have seen them divided by the rift between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.
Yet, Garcia is eyeing a return to the DP World Tour soon, having squared away over $1 million in dues for playing in “conflicting” LIV tournaments.
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Aiming for a Ryder Cup spot come September, this could pave the way for meeting Rose once more.
Garcia’s comeback trail is set to start at the BMW International Open in July, with an obligation to play three additional events by the close of 2025 to keep his Tour card.
At the PGA Championship this month, Garcia expressed uncertainty about his Ryder Cup chances, confessing that his performance at Quail Hollow did not merit selection.
He’s looking for a turnaround during his next stint on the LIV circuit in Virginia in early June, before rejoining the Wentworth-based tour a month thereafter.