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Newsweek
30-05-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Sergio Garcia Takes Major Step to Hopeful Ryder Cup Return
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Sergio García has declared his goal of returning to the Ryder Cup in September. The Spaniard knows he must meet two crucial requirements: first, he must play the minimum number of events required by DP World Tour rules; second, he must prove he is fit to play at Bethpage Black. With the first objective in mind, García has announced one of the European Tour events where he will compete before the Ryder Cup: the BMW International Open in July. He also used the moment to confirm his return to the Spanish Open in October. "Yes, definitely playing BMW International Open and will also play Spanish Open," García revealed via text message to Golf Magic. DP World Tour members must play at least four tournaments to keep their cards. García has already played two of them, the Masters and the PGA Championship, both of which are part of the European Tour calendar. He must complete the remaining tournaments during the season, not before the Ryder Cup. The 2017 Masters winner could meet that requirement with the events he's already committed to. Now, he needs to demonstrate his level by posting good results. García knows it's almost impossible for him to qualify as a member of Luke Donald's team in the top six rankings. His hopes rest on his ability to excel and earn one of the captain's six picks. Sergio Garcia of Fireballs GC looks on day one of LIV Golf Mexico City at Club de Golf Chapultepec on April 25, 2025 in Mexico City, Mexico. Sergio Garcia of Fireballs GC looks on day one of LIV Golf Mexico City at Club de Golf Chapultepec on April 25, 2025 in Mexico City, European Ryder Cup team is composed through a points system that ranks all eligible players. There are six automatic qualifiers. From there, Donald freely picks the other six members of the group. Sergio Garcia is a European Ryder Cup legend and one of the event's most successful players. He has won six of his ten appearances and holds the record for the most points in the event with 28.5. The 2025 BMW International Open will mark García's 14th appearance and first since 2022. In his previous 13 starts in Germany, the Masters winner achieved five top-10 finishes, including two second-place finishes in 2011 and 2017. García has also participated in 13 Spanish Open editions, most recently in 2019. He won the tournament in 2002 and finished in two other top 10s. More Golf: US Women's Open: Charley Hull Shows Up Lexi Thompson's Slow Play
New York Times
16-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
The caddie whose second chance has him standing with the PGA Championship leaders
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Sam Matton never saw the call coming. It was last summer, sometime around June. Matton was home in Swindon, England, what he calls, 'a s—y little town about 70 miles west of London.' Luke Donald was on the line. 'Really, even now, I don't know why,' Matton says all this time later. 'He was scraping the bottom of the barrel.' Advertisement Donald had met Matton about a year earlier, at the 2023 Team Cup, a DP World Tour event pitting 10 players from Continental Europe against a team from Great Britain & Ireland. Donald was there as Ryder Cup captain, scouting some young Euro players. Matton was there as Jordan Smith's caddie. Donald and Matton got along that week and had a few laughs. Nothing more. When calling Matton out of the blue last summer, Donald was on the hunt for a fill-in at the following week's BMW International Open in Germany. He'd heard Matton was available and asked if he could make it to Munich. That's where Matton stopped Donald. He told the former world No. 1 that there was something he should know. There was a reason he was available for work and it was a long, hard story that Matton laid out in full on that call, down to every detail; a story that he's willing to share publicly here in broader strokes, in hopes it might help someone out there who needs to hear it. 'This isn't something I hide from,' Matton says now. 'I'm very open about it.' Maybe the only thing more improbable than Donald's name floating near the top of the first-round leaderboard at this PGA Championship is how the man alongside him came to be here. Less than a year ago, Matton was in the depths of self-imposed recovery. The invisible war had finally taken its toll. All those years of drug and alcohol addiction. For so long, among an army of foes, cocaine led the charge, but, in time, so did the booze. Matton reached a point of no return and had to make changes or pay the consequences. 'Things were way, way out of control,' he says now, thinking back, remembering versions of himself. 'It got worse and worse and worse and finally was so far off track and had to walk away, take some time off. It was as simple as that.' He stepped away from golf for the first time since childhood. Matton began playing around 12, following his father to the course. He was good enough to chase the game as a professional, kicking around European mini tours for about six years. He called it quits around 2015 and gave teaching a try. He enjoyed working with talented players, but didn't have the patience for everyday hacks. So Matton jumped when an old friend playing on the European Tour invited him to caddie in an event in South Africa. With that, a new career emerged. Advertisement So too, though, did his long descent. When walking away from caddying near the end of 2023, Matton considered entering an inpatient treatment program, but couldn't afford it. He instead set out to navigate recovery on his own course. He spoke to therapists, tracing his addictive tendencies to a lifelong struggle with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and focused on rechanneling his numerous compulsive habits. He found that release in physical fitness, putting in endless hours at the gym, and overhauled his diet. He came up with a plan to fight relapses and stuck to it. While working on himself, Matton focused on those who needed him. Today the letter 'H' is tattooed on his left forearm in typewriter font. That's for Hannah, his partner, who 'has stuck with me through all my s—.' On the bicep, there's a 'K.' That's for Kenneth, a very good cavapoodle who Matton says is the best dog a guy could ask for. This is how Matton pulled himself up from the bottom, enough to see that, as he now puts it, 'the important thing isn't where you've been, it's where you're going, right?' Right. And sometimes, when that's the view, the phone rings at the right time. 'He was extremely honest about everything,' Donald said Thursday, not long after finishing his bogey-free first round 67. 'That was all I needed to hear. Everyone deserves second chances and everyone makes mistakes. Sam seems to have figured it out. He's in a much better place, and I'm all for supporting that. I think having him out here is good for him. It keeps his mind busy and he's very popular among the caddies. Everyone knows him. This is a healthy space.' Donald says he hired Matton because of his personality and positive energy. He's the type of caddie who's clear-eyed about the job, but not too serious. Walking along the 12th hole on Thursday, with Donald at 3-under, Matton turned to the former world No. 1 and suggested that if he goes on and wins the whole damn tournament, then he might qualify for his own Ryder Cup team. The two had a good laugh, then went on to wrap up the back nine without issue. The 107th PGA Championship is officially underway. Watch now on ESPN+ — PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 15, 2025 It was a good day on the clock, far easier than some others. Back when Matton stopped hoisting golf bags and got clean, he picked up work on a friend's construction crew. Bills were paid by building out drainage lines and foundations for large private homes. They still are. Donald, at this stage in his career, doesn't play a heavy enough schedule for full-time work. That's why, a few weeks ago, Matton was out on a job site, digging up a 500-yard driveway and laying down new stone. The first thing Donald noticed about Matton when they began working together last summer was his hands. He has the kind of calluses that can tell a story. Advertisement No matter what happens this weekend at Quail Hollow, Matton will fly out of Charlotte on Sunday night aboard a redeye headed home. He's thinking about taking Monday off, but will rise early on Tuesday, digging a foundation for a new build. He received a text message from the site manager during Thursday's first round detailing the job. 'S— work,' Matton says, 'but it pays, and it makes me appreciate these long walks, that's for sure. I'm not taking a minute for granted.' Spoken like a man who's happy to know where he's going. See, there are much bigger things ahead for Sam Matton. This September, he and Hannah are expecting a child. At 36, Sam will become a father. That's who's on the bag for what's perhaps the unlikeliest showing in this PGA Championship. Fitting, isn't it? 'He's still a long shot,' Matton said of Donald. 'But it's not impossible. I think he can hang around, you know, if he just keeps on keeping on.' He, of all people, would know. (Top photo of Sam Matton, left, and Luke Donald: Alex Slitz / Getty Images)
The Star
14-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Golf-Donald staying out of Ryder Cup eligibility issue for LIV Golf players
FILE PHOTO: Golf - DP World Tour - BMW International Open - Munich Eichenried Golf Club, Munich, Germany - July 6, 2024 England's Luke Donald in action during the third round REUTERS/Lisa Leutner/File Photo CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Reuters) -European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald would love for Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton to be available later this year but is not getting involved in their appeal of sanctions to maintain eligibility for the team event. Spaniard Rahm and England's Hatton were part of the last three European Ryder Cup teams but their eventual move to the Saudi-funded LIV Golf circuit has complicated matters. Both players appealed sanctions imposed by the Europe-based DP World Tour for playing LIV Golf events, which allowed them to reach the minimum four starts on that circuit to be considered for the Ryder Cup. But if the case is heard before the September 26-28 at Bethpage Black in New York, Rahm's and Hatton's hopes of being on the 12-player European team could evaporate if the ruling does not go their way. Donald, speaking to reporters ahead of his start in this week's PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club, said he has not talked to DP World Tour CEO Guy Kinnings about the eligibility issue surrounding LIV Golf players for the 2025 Ryder Cup. "I do not get involved with the politics of that," said Donald. "So my concentration is to get the best 12 players to New York, and hopefully everyone is eligible." When asked why he would not advocate for Rahm and Hatton if he considers his role as captain is to assemble the best possible team, Donald was blunt. "Well, I think Guy knows that I want my best 12; let's put it that way," said Donald. "But I haven't talked to him about that." Hatton is currently occupying one of the six automatic qualification places for the Ryder Cup while Rahm, who is known for his passion in the team event, is 29th on the European Ryder Cup standings. But Donald said he expects two-times major winner Rahm, who has a 6-3-3 record in Ryder Cup play, to be on his team at Bethpage Black so long as he is deemed eligible. "In terms of Jon, he's one of the best players in the world, and I would expect him to be on that team, but I certainly haven't given him those assurances," said Donald. "He still needs to keep going and playing just like everyone else." (Reporting by Frank PingueEditing by Christian Radnedge)
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Li Haotong birdies last hole to win Qatar Masters for fourth European tour title
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Li Haotong holed a birdie putt from 15 feet at the last hole to secure a one-shot win at the Qatar Masters on Sunday for his fourth title on the European tour. The No. 300-ranked Chinese golfer let out a loud roar, pumped both fists and wept in the arms of his caddie after his winning putt at Doha Golf Club. It denied Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen of Denmark a playoff. Li, the overnight leader, shot 3-under 69 in the final round to finish on 16-under par for the week, while Neergaard-Petersen posted 65. The Dane was alone in second place, two shots clear of Brandon Robinson Thompson (70). See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. 'I never thought I could come back in this position,' said Li, whose last win was in June 2022 at the BMW International Open. 'This morning, I was really stressed.' The Qatar Masters completes a run of four events in the Middle East. The tour next heads to Kenya on Feb. 20—23. ___ AP golf:
Washington Post
09-02-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Li Haotong birdies last hole to win Qatar Masters for fourth European tour title
DOHA, Qatar — Li Haotong holed a birdie putt from 15 feet at the last hole to secure a one-shot win at the Qatar Masters on Sunday for his fourth title on the European tour. The No. 300-ranked Chinese golfer let out a loud roar, pumped both fists and wept in the arms of his caddie after his winning putt at Doha Golf Club. It denied Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen of Denmark a playoff. Li, the overnight leader, shot 3-under 69 in the final round to finish on 16-under par for the week, while Neergaard-Petersen posted 65. The Dane was alone in second place, two shots clear of Brandon Robinson Thompson (70). 'I never thought I could come back in this position,' said Li, whose last win was in June 2022 at the BMW International Open. 'This morning, I was really stressed.' The Qatar Masters completes a run of four events in the Middle East. The tour next heads to Kenya on Feb. 20—23. ___ AP golf:
