Sergio Garcia would be open at the Irish this week. Instead, the Spaniard withdrew from the DP World Tour event in the K Club after Luke Donald had not selected him as one of the picks of his six captain for the Ryder Cup 2025.
“I felt that I was so looking forward to being part of that team, and so I felt mentally, you know, mentally it was rather difficult,” Garcia told golf magic. “I didn’t want to go there and not be fully involved in the tournament and such, so I just decided to take a little free time and spend it with the family and do a few things, you know, some things outside of golf and just a little reboot a bit, to restore the batteries.”
On the Open Championship, Garcia said that he had “chats” with Donald about it possible to return his Ryder Cup in Bethpage Black in September. Europe’s leader of all time believed that his experience would benefit a team that tries to win a Ryder Cup road in an enemy environment. But in the end the game of Garcia – his best big finish this season was a T34 at De Open – did not justify Pick and Donald Koos for Shane Lowry, Viktor HOvland, Sepp Stepa, Matt Fitzpatrick, Jon Rahm and Ludvig Åberg as his selections.
Rory Mcilroy, who automatically qualified for the team, did not share Garcia’s surprise that he had not been selected for the team.
‘No, I don’t do that [understand]”Said McIlroy on the Irish Open on Wednesday when he was asked if he understood why Garcia withdrew.” I mean, it would have been great for the tournament when Sergio played, but of course he tried to keep himself sharp, I think, if he got a choice. He has the right to come in and to take off from all the tournaments he wants. Like I said, Luke, has collected a very strong 12 players, and I think the right 12 players, and I am sure he is disappointed.
“But you know, at the same time I am sure he wants Europe well and wants us to win.”
McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Robert Macintyre, Tyrrell Hatton and Rasmus Hojgaard will become a member of Donald’s six Captain’s Picks on Long Island later this month.
The Masters Champion 2025 went to a silence after completing the career Grand Slam in April. McIlroy admitted that he was struggling to find motivation after the top of his ‘Mount Everest’. He was revived for his home crowd on the Open Championship, but then roared in the Fedex Cup play-offs.
McIlroy has previously stated that one of the last things he hopes to achieve in his career is winning a road Ryder Cup. After the victory of Europe in Rome in 2023, McIlroy promised a victory at Bethpage Black.
He arrives at the Irish Open with his eyes focused on a new goal – one that would be the perfect topper for a season in which McIlroy finally reached his dream.
“Again, the only thing for me – of course I would like to win this week,” said McIlroy. “I would like to win at Wentworth next week. But the only thing for me this year to rule my goals again, a road Ryder Cup, after everything that happened this year would be – I would look back on 2025, and there is no way to win – if I had a better year in the game, I would like to see it.”
The Ryder Cup starts at Bethpage Black on 26 September.
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