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Sergio Garcia has made it clear that he wants to play in another Ryder Cup, but on Sunday, he made it clear he doesn’t think he deserves to play in this year’s event. At least, not at the moment.
The Ryder Cup legend is the event’s all-time points leader. And he’s eligible again to play for Europe after rejoining the DP World Tour earlier this year. However, he’s not thrilled with his form right now following the PGA Championship.
“It is there if I play better,” Garcia said on Sunday when asked about playing in September’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black. “Obviously the way I’m playing, even if Luke [Donald] offered me a pick right now, I would tell him no. So obviously I need to get better. I need to get more where I was just before the Masters. You know, just show myself and show everyone that my game is solid, and it can help the Team Europe. It’s as simple as that.”
Garcia shot a Sunday 69 at Quail Hollow, but still finished near the bottom of those qualifying for the weekend thanks to a Saturday 79.
Ahead of the Masters, Garcia had a win and a third-place finish in four LIV starts this year. But he missed the cut at Augusta National and has finished 50th and T-42 in his two LIV starts since.
Still, it seems like a pretty wild claim that Garcia would turn down a captain’s pick given how much he loves the Ryder Cup. In 2023 he even made a reported last-ditch effort—which was ultimately rejected—to pay off his fines for leaving the DP World Tour for LIV in order to play for Team Europe.
“The good thing is that there’s still, you know, two or three months until the team is finalized,” said Garcia, who will try to earn a spot in the U.S. Open by playing in Final Qualifying in Texas on Monday. “So you know, I’ll have time to gain some confidence and improve a little bit on my game.”
The 45-year-old Spaniard has played in 10 Ryder Cups, helping Europe to win six times.
Brooks Koepka became the first LIV golfer to play in a Ryder Cup when he was a captain’s pick for Team USA in 2023. Both Donald and current U.S. captain Keegan Bradley have said they intend to field the best possible teams, regardless of a player’s primary tour.
The 2025 Ryder Cup will be held at Bethpage Black September 26-28.
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Main Image: Michael Reaves
