The decision to include, or not include, Sergio Garcia on this year’s European Ryder Cup team isn’t likely to boil down to last week’s BMW International Open in Germany. Sure, the man who’ll ultimately make that decision, Euro captain Luke Donald, was in the DP World Tour field in Munich. As was Garcia, who missed the cut. It was an ideal time to play well but hardly a defining result.
As it stands, Garcia, Europe’s all-time points leader in the matches, will need to lean on Donald for one of six captain’s picks to make it to Bethpage as the 45-year-old Spaniard sits 174th on the European team standings.
Once the beating heart of the European team, Garcia hasn’t given up on a record-equalling 11th appearance.
“Well, my hopes are to be there,” he told Australian Golf Digest on Wednesday at LIV Golf Andalucia. “I know that I’m part of the equation. So that’s good to know. But I also know that that I need to keep improving my game and keep playing better to make sure that Luke and his vice captains have a good weight behind the decision if they want to take me. So that’s all I can do.”
It’s not all Garcia could have done. Last week, he made a point of personally meeting up with Donald, who is running it back after steering the Europeans to an emotional home victory at Rome’s Marco Simone in 2023.
“Yeah, we had dinner,” Garcia said.
Asked if Donald gave the 2017 Masters champion a pep talk, as if to say, “Go out there and force me to pick you,” Garcia said that was part of the conversation although not that direct.
“He definitely … he was like, I just want you to get back to playing like you were playing before the [2025] Masters and how consistent you were. I told him that’s what I’m working on,” Garcia said. “[I said] I’ll be ready; I’ll be there when you need me. That’s all I can do. So, let’s see.”
Donald’s observation was in reference to a good run of form Garcia was enjoying globally early in 2025. He finished fourth in the International Series Macau on the Asian Tour before winning the LIV Golf Hong Kong event. He then had a third-place finish at LIV Golf Miami at Doral the week prior to Augusta. Clearly, Donald is keeping tabs on Garcia’s form across all tours.
Donald and Garcia’s history at the Ryder Cup includes being four-ball partners in 2012 at Medinah. Jamie Squire
It has been consistent enough that Garcia earned the newly created entry for LIV Golf’s individual points standings into next week’s British Open at Royal Portrush. Garcia was the top points earner (not already exempt) within the top five on LIV, an avenue the R&A announced in February.
Asked if he felt more emphasis on next week at Royal Portrush, given it might be Garcia’s last tournament with Official World Golf Rankings/Ryder Cup points on offer before the automatic qualifiers are finalised—and before Donald announces his captain’s picks, Garcia said, “No, the motivation … doesn’t [change] for any tournament. There’s always high motivation.”
Maybe it’s not extra motivation, but certainly some added incentive.
