After profitable one other LIV Golf title in Hong Kong, Sergio Garcia obtained a congratulatory textual content from one among his long-time buddies.
It was from Luke Donald, who additionally occurs to be this 12 months’s Ryder Cup captain.
“He advised me that it was nice to see one other European win on the market,” Garcia mentioned on a Tuesday telephone name with media.
“We’ve been speaking for some time now, and we get pleasure from speaking to one another and seeing what’s happening.”
Again in October, Donald confirmed that Garcia was not eligible for the 2025 Ryder Cup workforce. However the European captain mentioned that he and Garcia had mentioned how you can resolve that. Due to his affiliation with LIV Golf, the DP World Tour levied fines towards the Spaniard, who, in flip, didn’t pay them. To play on the European Ryder Cup workforce, you have to be a European citizen and be a DP World Tour member in good standing.
Garcia paid off these fines as of January. He’s now Ryder Cup eligible.
“We’re good buddies, we’ve been in Ryder Cups collectively,” Garcia mentioned of Donald.
“He is aware of what I can convey to the workforce.”
What Garcia brings to the desk is the best Ryder Cup document in historical past. He has received 28.5 factors complete, 5 greater than Billy Casper, the winningest American within the competitors’s historical past. Garcia additionally has extra expertise than all however two Europeans ever, enjoying in 45 matches throughout 10 Ryder Cups. Solely Nick Faldo and Lee Westwood have performed in additional.
Ought to Garcia make it onto this 12 months’s workforce at Bethpage Black, it could mark his eleventh begin in a Ryder Cup, thus matching Faldo’s and Westwood’s document. Solely Phil Mickelson has performed in additional with 12.
However what does Garcia need to do to don the blue and gold on Lengthy Island this fall?
“On the finish of the day, it’s nearly enjoying good golf and being constant all year long,” Garcia mentioned.
“I’m on his radar, and that’s one thing nice to know. The one factor I can do is maintain doing what I’m doing, and maintain giving me excuses, in the event you might name it that manner, to have an opportunity of selecting me hopefully when it comes all the way down to the wire.
“So, we’ll see, we’ll see what occurs.”
First, Garcia should flip in an excellent displaying at Augusta Nationwide, the place beneficial Ryder Cup factors can be found. 5 thousand factors are up for grabs at The Masters this 12 months, with 835 factors going to the winner (this identical method applies to all 4 majors for European gamers). Taking part in properly is a tall activity, nonetheless. Garcia has missed 5 of his final six cuts at Augusta, relationship again to his win in 2017. However the Spaniard’s type over the previous 9 months has vastly improved. DataGolf lists him because the twenty seventh finest participant on the planet as of proper now.
“It’s the drive to maintain making an attempt to enhance, to attempt to maintain getting higher. I feel that’s necessary. We at all times work arduous on our video games, however I feel I’m working arduous and dealing higher at it. In order that’s essential when it comes all the way down to your sport,” Garcia mentioned when requested why he’s enjoying so properly at 45 years previous.
“And bodily, I’ve been blessed with a physique that, , it won’t be the strongest on the planet, however it holds on very properly. I haven’t needed to have many breaks in my profession due to accidents. So I feel that that retains your momentum going. In the event you’re enjoying properly, abruptly you get injured and also you, you possibly can’t play for like 4 or 5 months, it type of, it’s, it’s arduous to maintain going due to accidents. Then your physique doesn’t transfer the identical manner and issues like that.
“So I’ve been very fortunate and really blessed with that, and I feel that’s why I’m nonetheless acting at my age.”
He might want to proceed to carry out properly past Augusta if he desires to make it to Bethpage.
The most important subject Garcia faces proper now’s that he’s solely eligible for the PGA Championship apart from the Masters. The PGA of America awarded Garcia a particular invitation to compete at Quail Hole this 12 months, due to his robust displaying on LIV Golf and different international occasions. However a missed three-footer this previous week in Macau stored him from receiving an invitation to Royal Portrush for The Open, what Garcia referred to as his “favourite main.”
He has different alternatives to qualify for The Open and U.S. Open, however it is going to be no straightforward activity. Nonetheless, Garcia has the pedigree, expertise, and expertise to just do that, and if he could make it into these fields, who is aware of what number of Ryder Cup factors he can earn. And if he does make it on the European workforce, the Individuals ought to be careful, as a result of no person has a greater document than Garcia.
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Taking part in Via. Observe him on X @jack_milko.
