“I prefer to be spoiled for choice”, Luke Donald does not say no to a return of Sergio Garcia in the Ryder Cup

On the sidelines of the British Masters where he will be one of the players in the running, Luke Donald was asked about Sergio Garcia’s stated desire to become a Ryder Cup player again in 2025. The captain of the European team did not close the door on the record holder for points in the biennial competition. But there is a major concern for the Spaniard…

« I sent Sergio a message of congratulations after his victory in Valderrama. But I have not spoken with him about his possible return to the European circuit. I just know that he is playing well and his agent has confirmed to me his desire to return to the European team as a player. The more people there are to choose from, the better. »

Luke Donald was clear, the door is not closed to LIV players and therefore to Sergio Garcia for Bethpage 2025. But the European captain, who is known to be close to the Spaniard (they are friends and have played and won many doubles in the Ryder Cup), obviously gave no guarantee to the record holder of points in the event (25.5).

Next year, Sergio Garcia will be 45 years old and his current level is difficult to determine since he only plays on the LIV and has only participated in one Major in 2024 (missed cut at the Masters). But the one who conquered the green jacket in 2017 has announced his intention to renew his “membership” on the European Tour, even if it means paying a heavy fine.

The least lost of the LIV veterans

For the moment, this announcement has not been followed up, but we can think that the Spaniard’s passion for the Ryder Cup could indeed lead him to regularize his situation.

Except that even if Garcia were to become a European Tour player again, he would have to perform very well to qualify or at least convince Luke Donald to grant him one of the six wild cards.

In Rome, the younger generation proved that it could do without elders like him, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood or Henrik Stenson who have certainly contributed a lot to the European team, but who seem out of the running in sporting terms.

Garcia may be the least “left behind” of the group of veterans, but places will be expensive for Bethpage…

Today if we think about LIV, the players in pole position to join the European team are rather Jon Rahm obviously and maybe Tyrrell Hattoncompeting this week at the British Masters.

©ROSS KINNAIRD / GETTY IMAGES EUROPE / Getty Images via AFP