With a Ryder Cup year to come in 2025, golf will be an exciting place to be as both Europe and the USA gear up for a huge event in New York.
For Team Europe, it’s about defending the trophy they won so convincingly in 2023. For Team USA, it’s about revenge and proving that they can indeed come together as a unit to win again.
Of course, Europe are well set, with captain Luke Donald expected to go with as close to the 2023 team as possible, depending on form and auto-picks obviously.
However, Donald could have food for thought when it comes to Sergio Garcia. Garcia has spoken of his desire to play in a Ryder Cup again, while Donald himself has spoken to Garcia.
As we know, Garcia is also going to play on the DP World Tour next year after clearing outstanding fines and issues.
But according to another Ryder Cup legend, Ian Poulter, the idea of paying more fines to get into the tournament seems a bit far.
Ian Poulter questions Sergio Garcia’s pursuit of 2025 Ryder Cup spot
Speaking to golf journalist Matt Vincenzi about the Ryder Cup and specifically, Garcia, Poulter admitted he found it an expensive pursuit for the Spaniard.
“I haven’t spoken to Luke Donald to be honest, so I don’t know if Luke has had any conversations with Sergio. Sergio finished third last year on the order of merit on LIV which shows what he’s still capable of,” Poulter said.
“But as far as his options within the chances of playing his way into contention to be in the top six to make an automatic pick and/or how much will he be considered by Luke and what would it take for that happen, I don’t know how many tournaments Sergio is earmarking to play in Europe, so I guess we will have to wait and see.
“My part on that is it’s going to be expensive for Sergio to be eligible to play in that Ryder Cup, he would have had one million dollars worth of fines paid already and he will play 14 LIV events next year finable of 100,000 per week, so he would have spent or LIV would have spent 2.4 million dollars or pounds to have that freedom to have a chance.
“That’s a lot of money spent to try and make a team.”
Why is it always about money?
While everyone is entitled to their opinion and Poulter is a man who never backs down from his actual thoughts on things, this just shows how money is a big driver in everything some golfers do.
Poulter is one of the legends of Team Europe but he lets the mask slip a bit here by bringing up the money side.
For Garcia, who has earned more than $60m playing golf just in prize money alone, paying out around $2m in fines is a drop in the ocean to pursue a dream of competing in another Ryder Cup.
Hopefully, Garcia does go for it and does make it. As for Poulter, well he knows he won’t ever get picked again, which in a way, probably shapes his thought process.
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