Sergio Garca has withdrawn from this weekend's Irish Open, disappointed after not being selected as captain for the European Ryder Cup team. Captain Luke Donald revealed his six picks on Monday, which does not include Garca, a ten-time Ryder Cup selection.
Sergio Garcia, statements
"I really wanted to be part of that team, so mentally it was a bit tough," Garca said in an interview with GolfMagic UK.
"I didn't want to go there and not be fully involved in the tournament and all that, so I decided to take a little bit of time off and spend it with the family and do a few things, some things outside of golf, and just reset a little bit, recharge."
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The Irish Open begins Thursday at The K Club in County Kildare, Ireland.
Garca, 45, plays in the LIV Golf League, which hampers his ability to earn ranking points toward automatic qualification. The Spaniard is the all-time leading points scorer in Ryder Cup history.
He has 28.5 points and a 25-13-7 record. The American leader is the late Billy Casper, with 23.5 points and a 20-10-7 record.
Garcia last played for Team Europe in 2021, a loss at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.
Instead, Donald selected Ludvig Aberg, Matt Fitzpatrick, Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry, Jon Rahm, and Sepp Straka, all of whom were part of the winning European team at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club near Rome in 2023.
The 45th Ryder Cup will be played September 26-28 at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, N.Y.
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"The call with Luke was good, but it wasn't the call I wanted, obviously, but the conversation was good," Garcia said. "Now, all I can do is support the team from home. It's as simple as that. I'll be watching and cheering on the European team."
