Sergio Garcia has successfully brought several young Spanish golfers to LIV Golf but one rising star has decided to go a different way. 21-year-old Angel Ayora has revealed that he turned down an offer from Garcia and chose to stick with his plan of reaching the PGA Tour.
Ayora spoke about the decision while talking to Today’s Golfer at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. He said Garcia personally called him and invited him to join Fireballs GC, the all-Spanish team on LIV.
“I had the chance to go there,” Ayora said. “I told him it was a pleasure for me to be a part of his team, but I told him my dream is to play on the PGA Tour, so I’m going to try to keep this path.”
The young Spaniard said his focus is on building his career the traditional way. He wants to improve his world ranking, play majors, and earn a PGA Tour card through the DP World Tour system.
“I want to be in the top 50 in the world. I want to play the majors,” he said. “I think the right path for me is to stay here on DP and trying to get a PGA Tour card and play there.”
Ayora came close to doing that last season. In his rookie year on the DP World Tour, he finished 20th in the Race to Dubai standings, just three spots outside the cutoff for one of the 10 PGA Tour cards on offer.
He impressed throughout the year, recording six top-10 finishes in seven starts. He was also in the mix for Rookie of the Year before losing out to France’s Martin Couvra. His form quickly made him one of the most talked-about young players in Europe.
He has started 2026 strongly as well, opening the season with a tied-13th finish at the Dubai Invitational. His main goal this year is clear to earn a PGA Tour card through the Race to Dubai pathway.
Ayora’s decision stands out because several young Spanish players have already chosen LIV. David Puig, Josele Ballester, Luis Masaveu, and Eugenio Chacarra have all joined Garcia in recent years.
Ayora’s decision stands out because several young Spanish players have already chosen LIV. David Puig, Josele Ballester, Luis Masaveu, and Eugenio Chacarra have all joined Garcia in recent years.
Garcia has confirmed that Fireballs GC will once again feature an all-Spanish lineup for the 2026 season. Ayora, however, will not be part of that group. Instead, he is backing himself to reach the top the long way.
Sergio Garcia set to start 2026 season at Bahrain Championship
Sergio Garcia will begin his 2026 season at the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship, which will be played from January 29 to February 1 on the DP World Tour.
He is part of a strong field that includes major winner Pádraig Harrington. Several players with Olympic experience will also be in action, including Matteo Manassero, Guido Migliozzi, Thomas Detry, Ashun Wu, Bernd Wiesberger, Rafa Cabrera Bello, and Antoine Rozner.
Garcia’s appearance comes not long after he signed a new multi-year deal with LIV Golf in December. He has been with the league since it began in 2022 and will continue playing there under the new contract.
However, he did not renew his DP World Tour membership for 2026, which suggests his start in Bahrain is more of a one-off than a full return to the circuit.
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