Sergio Garcia showed true colours in chat with Luke Donald after Ryder Cup snub

Europe’s Ryder Cup team will be without one of their most experienced stars in Sergio Garcia later this month, but this has not stopped captain Luke Donald from reaching out to the Spaniard

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Luke Donald has revealed LIV Golf star Sergio Garcia wished Team Europe all the best following his omission from the European Ryder Cup team.

Garcia announced himself as a Ryder Cup legend throughout his career, donning the title of the matchplay event’s most prolific points scorer ahead of six-time major champion Sir Nick Faldo. Garcia is unable to add to his tally in Rome later this month though, with the Spaniard absent from Team Europe for just the second time in 24 years.

The all-time leading points scorer made himself ineligible for the event after opting to resign his DP World Tour membership having been sanctioned by the Tour for joining LIV Golf. Garcia was joined by fellow European stalwarts Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood in handing in their Tour membership.

The Spaniard’s absence will leave a gaping hole in the European team in Rome, having played such a prolific role in the team’s success over the past two decades. And even though he can play no part – whether that be in a playing capacity or as a vice-captain – captain Donald has been in conversation with Garcia, who wished the European team well.

Following a scouting trip to the host course, Marco Simone this week, Donald said per ESPN: “We’ve chatted a little bit and he certainly wishes the team all the best.”

Whilst it will be strange for the LIV Golf star to be watching a Ryder Cup from Rome, there is also differences for Donald too, who has always had Garcia in the dressing room in each of his Team Europe appearances. “It’s different for me,” the European skipper added.

“It will be the first Ryder Cup I’ve been involved [in] without Sergio. But he understands the role and he was more than supportive when I talked to him just a few weeks ago.” Amid Garcia’s absence there has been a changing of the guard in the European ranks.

Luke Donald spoke with Sergio Garcia after his Ryder Cup omission (

Image:

Warren Little/Getty Images)

Donald boasts four Ryder Cup rookies within his ranks, with Robert MacIntyre, Sepp Straka, Nicolai Hojgaard and Ludvig Aberg all making their debuts in European colours. It is the pick of Aberg that has drawn the most attention, after the Swede only turned professional earlier this summer.

Since then though Aberg has enjoyed a meteoric rise, which culminated in a first victory as a pro at the Czech Masters earlier this month, followed by a Ryder Cup 24 hours later. Clearly a big fan of the youngster, Donald commented: “We’ve known about Ludvig for a long time.

“He obviously came out to the professional circuit and picked it up pretty quickly, some very strong finishes… He’s a tremendous driver of the golf ball, which is really a strength around Marco Simone and he’s already fitting in very well with the team.”