Garcia dishes on chats with Donald, makes bizarre (?) claim about LIV Golf venue

Sergio Garcia has revealed his 'sincere' chats with Luke Donald.

26 May 2023

Garcia dishes on chats with Donald, makes bizarre (?) claim about LIV Golf venue — Garcia dishes on chats with Donald, makes bizarre (?) claim about LIV Golf…

LIV Golf's Sergio Garcia has revealed details of a private conversation he had with Luke Donald about the Spaniard's chances of making the Ryder Cup team as he launched another verbal assault on the DP World Tour.

Garcia is in Washington for the next LIV Golf event. He missed out playing the PGA Championship for the first time in 24 years but kept his U.S. Open streak alive by posting back-to-back rounds of 66 to punch his ticket to Los Angeles Country Club.

In the immediate aftermath of qualifying, a jubilant and cheeky Garcia pretended not to understand English when asked if his qualification paired with Brooks Koepka's fifth major championship triumph 'validated' the breakaway tour.

Now Garcia has given a bit of an insight into his chats with Donald over the last few months. Turns out, Garcia, Europe's record points scorer had absolutely no chance of making the team.

"It sounded like my chance was slim to none," Garcia told media in DC.

Here's the full exchange Garcia had with a reporter:

Q. Just wanted to ask you a little bit about if you still communicate with Luke Donald, and the Ryder Cup situation, just your thoughts on it? I know it means a lot to you with the great lineage of Spanish champions in the Ryder Cup.

Sergio Garcia:

"I did. I talked to him two or three weeks ago. Obviously I had to make some decisions when it comes down to the DP World Tour, and I wanted to see where I stood in regards to the Ryder Cup.

"Luke obviously is a good friend, but he made it -- I wanted him to be sincere and tell me the truth, and he pretty much told me that I had no chance. Obviously that made my decision a little bit easier.

"It was sad because I felt like not only because of my history but the way I've been playing, that I probably could have a chance, but it didn't sound like it, so that's what it is."

Q. Now that you opened that up, Sergio --

Sergio Garcia:

"I didn't open it up, he opened it up."

Q. Fair enough. When you listen to Luke Donald and you listen to Zach Johnson, they continue to say that guys on the outside that aren't playing on the DP World Tour or on the PGA TOUR have a chance to get into their teams. But it sounds like in your conversation, it was pretty clear that you had no chance.

Sergio Garcia:

"Yeah, it didn't sound like it. It sounded like my chance was slim to none.

Q. Did he indicate why?

Sergio Garcia:

"You can ask him about that."

Q. If he was here I would definitely ask him about that.

Sergio Garcia:

"I'm sure you'll bump into him and let's see what he tells you."

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| Sergio Garcia will be 'targeted' by the DP World Tour after the European Ryder Cup record points scorer was the only player not to pay the £100k fine imposed for teeing it up the inaugural LIV Golf event without permission. pic.twitter.com/4RbYdycO4P
— GolfMagic (@GolfMagic) May 4, 2023

Garcia said when he made the leap to LIV he was hoping his Ryder Cup wouldn't be in jeopardy.

He said he hoped those in charge would 'be smart' about it and leave the options open. At the end of the day, he's still European, he said.

"But it's what it is, and you have to move on. I can't just be sitting here crying that I'm not going to play the Ryder Cup," he added.

Garcia also had some very pointed criticism about the DP World Tour about the forthcoming LIV Golf event at Valderrama.

He said:

"More than anything, I love that Valderrama is finally going to get the chance of having the kind of field that it deserves because for too many years, unfortunately, the DP World Tour has been promising me and other Spanish players that have been involved in the tournament playing there and the golf course itself, the club, that the feel was going to get better, that more great players were going to come and play, and it never happened.

"I think that Valderrama deserves a lot more than that."

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