As the 2024 LIV Golf season concluded, there appeared to be a real possibility that Sergio Garcia could get the chance to make his return to the Ryder Cup team after missing out in 2023.
Sergio Garcia enjoyed a fantastic year on LIV Golf last season, winning in Andalucia. And with Jon Rahm‘s move to the league surely opening up more of a pathway for LIV players to feature on the European side at the Ryder Cup, it seemed that his countryman may be on Luke Donald‘s radar.
Of course, Garcia is the all-time leading points scorer in the Ryder Cup. Meanwhile, he is one of the few Europeans who knows what it is like to win the event on American soil, having partnered Donald during the Miracle at Medinah.
Garcia’s form in the last few months however, has been a little more disappointing. He did win at Hong Kong. But he missed the cut at The Masters, while he has not finished in the top 30 in any of the last three LIV events.
Sergio Garcia confirms his plans ahead of the Ryder Cup
Nevertheless, Garcia still has his sights set on making the Ryder Cup team for Bethpage later this year.
The 45-year-old is set to be involved at The Open Championship. But speaking on Beyond the Clubhouse, Garcia has confirmed that he is set to make sure that he meets the criteria to potentially be picked.
“I have to be a member of the DP World Tour to be eligible so I am going to be playing a few DP World Tour events and keep working hard on my game. Keep trying and keep giving myself chances and hope that it is enough to be there in late September,” he said.
“We talk pretty regularly,” he added, about Luke Donald. “I think we talk a week or a week and a half ago. We saw each other at the PGA. We will see each other at the BMW International Open in Munich so we stay in touch.
“I think he just wants to see a lot more of what I have been doing the last year and a half or so. That’s what I am going to try to do.”
Why Luke Donald cannot overlook Sergio Garcia’s most recent Ryder Cup appearance ahead of Bethpage
The 2021 Ryder Cup was one which most of Europe would love to forget. USA won by a record margin at Whistling Straits, with just three members of Padraig Harrington‘s team winning more than one point all week.
Tyrrell Hatton clinched 1.5 points, while Rahm led the way with 3.5 points. But Garcia was not far behind the Legion XIII captain, as he won three points from his four matches.
In fact, Garcia and Rahm won all three of their matches together in Wisconsin. And that should arguably be in the back of Donald’s mind if Garcia finds some form again in the coming weeks.
Europe would be extremely wise to have someone like Justin Rose or Garcia in the ranks for a challenge like Bethpage. As things stand, it really feels like the 2017 Masters champion has got plenty of ground to make up.
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