Garcia: Europe needs Rory at 120pc to have Ryder Cup chance
Masters champion Sergio Garcia of Spain putts on the No. 9 green during the second round of the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club, Friday, April 7, 2023.
Sergio Garcia revealed he resigned from the DP World Tour because Luke Donald told him he had “no chance” of being a Ryder Cup pick for Rome.
Speaking ahead of the LIV Golf Series event at Trump National Washington, Europe’s record points scorer went on to say that Donald will need Rory McIlroy “to recover” and be at 120pc if they are to have a chance of winning back the trophy.
“I talked to him two or three weeks ago,” said Garcia, who did qualify for the US PGA via the world rankings but came through Final Qualifying for the US Open on Tuesday.
“Obviously I had to make some decisions when it comes down to the DP World Tour, and I wanted to see where I stood in regards to the Ryder Cup.
“Luke obviously is a good friend, but he made it -- I wanted him to be sincere and tell me the truth, and he pretty much told me that I had no chance. Obviously that made my decision a little bit easier.
“It was sad because I felt like not only because of my history but the way I've been playing, that I probably could have a chance, but it didn't sound like it, so that's what it is.”
He added: “It sounded like my chance was slim to none.”
The DP World Tour announced on May 3 that Garcia, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter had resigned their memberships and revealed the following day that the Spaniard had not paid his £100,000 fine for breaking Tour regulations by playing LIV Golf events without a release.
Garcia added he had no regrets but admitted he had hoped to team up again with Jon Rahm after they finished as Europe’s top scorers in the 19-9 hammering at Whistling Straits in 2021.
“I think we were all thinking and hoping that they would be smart about it and still have options open, because at the end of the day, I'm still European,” he said. “I'm Spanish, and I want the European team to win and do the best they can there and have the best chance at winning the Ryder Cup, obviously.
“I was excited about the possibility of playing with Jon again, and I know that Jon was also excited about that possibility, too. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like it's going to happen, at least for now.
“But it's what it is, and you have to move on. I can't just be sitting here crying that I'm not going to play the Ryder Cup.
“It's what it is, and I just hope that all of them and obviously I hope that Rory recovers because I think the team is going to need him to be 120 per cent if they want to have a chance of winning. Hopefully they'll all get there with the best chance possible and see what we can do.”
Meanwhile, Pádraig Harrington blasted a bogey-free, course-record eight-under-par 64 to lead the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship by two shots from Japan’s Katsumasa Miyamoto at Fields Ranch East in Dallas where Paul McGinley opened with a 73.
At the KLM Open, Tom McKibbin’s one-under 71 left him 44th, eight shots behind Spain’s Jorge Campillo with John Murphy back in joint 66th after a 72. In Denmark, Paul Dunne returned to form at the Copenhagen Challenge, carding a two-under 70 for tied 10th, three shots behind American Julian Suri.
Meanwhile, England’s Harry Hall shot a career-low eight-under par 62 to claim the early lead in the PGA Tour's Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Forth Worth.
The Cornwall-born rookie (25) made eight birdies in a bogey-free round to lead by four strokes from Tom Hoge.
World number one Scottie Scheffler was in a big group on three-under after carding a 67 to sit alongside David Lipsky, Michael Kim, Austin Smotherman, Ryan Fox, Si Woo Kim, Billy Horschel, Sam Burns and Chez Reavie.
Another Texas favourite, three-time Major winner Jordan Spieth, could manage just one birdie in a two-over 72.
