Sergio Garcia happy to be back in the European Ryder Cup team and as a playing member
Starting from 1999, Sergio Garcia represented the European team in each of the Ryder Cup competitions, until he failed to make it to the team as a playing member in 2010.
However, he still managed to take a seat in the event as an assistant captain for the European Ryder Cup team in the last staging of the biennial event.
This year, he once again proved his mettle on the European Tour as well as on the PGA Tour and confirmed his berth in the 12-man playing squad from Europe.
The Spaniard is now relishing the opportunity of making it to the team as a playing member for the sixth time in his career.
"For me it was definitely, I want to be back on that team," Spaniard Garcia told reporters on Wednesday before heading out for a team practice round. "I definitely don't want to be back as a vice-captain”.
"It was definitely a little bit of an inspiration to see your team mates playing and you not really being able to do much," he said of the 2010 Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor. "I wasn't able to hit a shot there. It was a good experience. Difficult but it was
good”.
Seve Ballesteros, who died last year due to brain cancer, will be a huge source of inspiration for the 32-year-old. Ballesteros made his country proud by representing the European continent in the Ryder Cup nine times in his career.
Garcia now wants to follow the footsteps of his compatriot by playing the Ryder Cup as much as he can.
This year, the 10-time European Tour winner can play a huge role in retaining the Cup in Europe, as he is currently enjoying a great form this season.
After winning the PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship, he booked his place in the 10 automatic qualifications for the European team.
He then participated in three of the four PGA Tour Playoffs events and placed his name in the top-25 on the leaderboard in each of them, including a tied third-place finish in The Barclays.
Moreover, his past record in the tournament, 14–6–4, also speaks of his talent in team events. Therefore, he will be among the most watched players this year.
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