After successful 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 stated on a Tuesday cellphone name with media.
“We’ve been speaking for some time now, and we take pleasure in speaking to one another and seeing what’s occurring.”
Again in October, Donald confirmed that Garcia was not eligible for the 2025 Ryder Cup workforce. However the European captain stated 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 stated of Donald.
“He is aware of what I can carry to the workforce.”
What Garcia brings to the desk is the best Ryder Cup document in historical past. He has gained 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, taking part in 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 might 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 taking part in good golf and being constant all year long,” Garcia stated.
“I’m on his radar, and that’s one thing nice to know. The one factor I can do is preserve doing what I’m doing, and preserve giving me excuses, in case you could name it that means, to have an opportunity of selecting me hopefully when it comes right down to the wire.
“So, we’ll see, we’ll see what occurs.”
First, Garcia should flip in a great exhibiting at Augusta Nationwide, the place useful 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 similar method applies to all 4 majors for European gamers). Enjoying effectively 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 greatest participant on the earth as of proper now.
“It’s the drive to maintain attempting to enhance, to attempt to preserve getting higher. I feel that’s necessary. We at all times work onerous on our video games, however I feel I’m working onerous and dealing higher at it. In order that’s crucial when it comes right down to your sport,” Garcia stated when requested why he’s taking part in so effectively at 45 years outdated.
“And bodily, I’ve been blessed with a physique that, you understand, it won’t be the strongest on the earth, nevertheless it holds on very effectively. I haven’t needed to have many breaks in my profession due to accidents. So I feel that that retains your momentum going. If you happen to’re taking part in effectively, abruptly you get injured and also you, you possibly can’t play for like 4 or 5 months, it sort of, it’s, it’s onerous to maintain going due to accidents. Then your physique doesn’t transfer the identical means 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 effectively past Augusta if he needs to make it to Bethpage.
The most important challenge Garcia faces proper now could be that he’s solely eligible for the PGA Championship in addition to the Masters. The PGA of America awarded Garcia a particular invitation to compete at Quail Hole this 12 months, due to his robust exhibiting 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 will likely be no simple activity. Nonetheless, Garcia has the pedigree, expertise, and expertise to do exactly 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 Enjoying By means of. Comply with him on X @jack_milko.