Sergio Garcia was probably the most surprising name left off Luke Donald’s European squad for the 2025 Ryder Cup.
He missed out in Rome two years ago as well, but he’s coming off a strong season on LIV Golf, and few can match his Ryder Cup credentials.
Jon Rahm, also playing on LIV and one of Donald’s six captain’s picks, was selected ahead of the 45-year-old.
Speaking before the BMW PGA Championship this week, Rahm gave his view on why Garcia was left out again.
Jon Rahm weighs in on Sergio Garcia’s absence from the 2025 Ryder Cup team
Garcia was in strong form early in the season, with two top-10 finishes and a win in Hong Kong in his first five tournaments, making him a strong contender for team selection at that time.
However, his performance declined as the year progressed, and he failed to contend in the last nine tournaments.
Rahm felt that recent form was the deciding factor, telling reporters:
“My heart is always going to say yes, right. He’s a good friend of mine, he’s a Spanish player, and the moments we shared in whistling and Paris, personally, I’m always going to want him around.
“He did play good early on in the year, very, very good. He was playing incredible golf, maybe in some parts of the world that you weren’t watching. It seemed like from April on; he didn’t keep that level. So I don’t think he helped himself.”
“I understand that while we are not earning points or rankings, we need to make a really strong case to be picked.
“Had he kept that level; he might have been on the team but didn’t play as well as he could have. Subjectively, I’m always going to root for him.”
Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia saved Europe from more embarrassment at 2021 Ryder Cup
Rahm would likely have relished the opportunity to play with Garcia again on the European team, given their shared past.
The two Spaniards played together three times at Whistling Straits in 2021 and went unbeaten against strong American pairs.
| Format | Opponent | Result |
| Foursomes | Justin Thomas/Jordan Spieth | Europe 3&1 |
| Foursomes | Brooks Koepka/Daniel Berger | Europe 3&1 |
| Fourballs | Brooks Koepka/Jordan Spieth | Europe 2&1 |
They picked up wins over combinations that included Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka, and Daniel Berger.
Europe still lost the event 19-9 despite their efforts. Without those points, things could have looked even worse on paper than they already did.
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