Sergio Garcia has withdrawn from the Irish Open at the K Club, ruling himself out of a potential £750,000 payday, after being overlooked for a spot on the European Ryder Cup team. The 45-year-old Spaniard, Europe's all-time leading Ryder Cup scorer with 28.5 points, was hoping to be one of captain Luke Donald's six wildcard picks for the match at Bethpage Black later this month.
However, Donald chose Jon Rahm, Shane Lowry, Viktor Hovland, Ludvig Aberg, Matt Fitzpatrick and Sepp Straka instead. Garcia, who plays on the LIV Golf tour where no Ryder Cup ranking points are available, admitted the decision was tough to take. 'The call with Luke was fine but not the call I wanted, obviously,' he told GolfMagic. 'Now, the only thing I can do is support the team from home.'
Garcia, who finished ninth in LIV's individual standings and won a title in Hong Kong in March, said he withdrew from the Irish Open because he was not mentally prepared. 'I felt like I was so looking forward to being a part of that team. Mentally, it was kind of tough. I didn't want to go there and not be fully engaged,' he explained. The tournament, which starts on Thursday, has a prize fund of £4.5 million.
Donald defended his decision, highlighting Rahm's leadership qualities. 'Jon really sets the standard for us. He is usually the first person up and the last person in the team room. He understands the history of the Ryder Cup,' Donald said. Rahm admitted he was emotional about his selection, saying, 'I didn't think I'd be as emotional as I am right now. It's going to be special.'
The European team also includes automatic qualifiers Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Bob MacIntyre, Tyrrell Hatton and Rasmus Hoijgaard. The only change from the team that won in Rome two years ago is Hoijgaard replacing his twin brother Nicolai. The Ryder Cup begins on Friday, September 26.
