Sergio Garcia vs Tiger Woods at 2025 Ryder Cup? Garcia wants it to happen!
Sergio Garcia to captain 2025 European Ryder Cup team? Garcia ready for clash against Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson.
Sergio Garcia has put his name forward to captain the 2025 European Ryder Cup team and seemingly fancies a crack at either Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson as US Ryder Cup skipper at Bethpage Black.
Garcia's Ryder Cup future as a player or captain has been put in jeopardy in recent months as a result of him terminating his DP World Tour card following his move to join the Saudi-bankrolled LIV Golf League.
Other Ryder Cup legends such as Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood did the same.
Only there is some hope from players on LIV Golf they will be let back into the fold soon, especially as the golf world waits with bated breath to see what plays out between a shock PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) merger in 2024.
Garcia confirmed just before the 2023 Ryder Cup that he made a last-ditch attempt to play in the biennial dust-up by offering to pay fines imposed as a result of competing in LIV Golf events without a tournament release.
Not only did Garcia offer to pay off his bill - said to be in the region of £700,000 - the Spaniard also offered to commit to a series of tournaments in 2024 providing there was a chance he could be involved in Rome.
Garcia told i's Kevin Garside he phoned DP World Tour chief executive Keith Pelley directly and the answer was a firm no.
Per the report, Pelley told Garcia he was following the guidelines and only if Europe's record points scorer was still a member of the European-based circuit could he be considered.
Should Sergio Garcia captain the 2025 European Ryder Cup side at Bethpage Black?
— GolfMagic (@GolfMagic) October 4, 2023
Garcia resigned his DP World Tour card earlier in the year when LIV players were ruled against by a sports arbiter.
The 2017 Masters champion told i things will be 'more favourable' in 2024 for LIV players but he was still discouraged from reapplying for his membership.
But regardless of all the current politics involved right now, Garcia, 43, clearly fancies a shot at leading the 2025 European Ryder Cup team in New York.
The Spaniard also wants to face Woods or Mickelson on the 2025 US Ryder Cup team.
Garcia, who has over 900k followers, retweeted the views of Greg Norman Jr on Twitter from October 2:
The 16-time European Tour winner then also retweeted a post from a LIV Golf fan account that read:
Former winning US Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger believes we could very well see Woods vs Garcia in 2025.
Would you like to see Tiger Woods as Captain in two years time at Bethpage? #RyderCup pic.twitter.com/Txd4ebgwJj
— GolfMagic (@GolfMagic) October 5, 2023
Should Tiger Woods become the 2025 United States #RyderCup captain at Bethpage?
— GolfMagic (@GolfMagic) October 2, 2023
It's fair to say Garcia and Woods have never particularly seen eye-to-eye down the years, especially after a number of frosty incidents.
The history of their feud dates back to when Garcia first burst on the scene in 1999.
TIGER VS SERGIO: A HISTORY OF THEIR POISONOUS FEUD
The history of their feud has involved accusations of cheating, gamesmanship and even racism.
As for whether Mickelson would fancy the captaincy - or whether he would even be asked by the PGA of America - remains to be seen.
It recently came to light Mickelson allegedly wanted to bet on the 2012 Ryder Cup which he was taking part in.
That bombshell allegation came from an extraordinary extract in Billy Walters' book that was released on August 10.
The figure was reportedly $400,000.
Former US Ryder Cup captain Lanny Wadkins ripped into Mickelson over that allegation.
Should Sergio Garcia become the 2025 European Ryder Cup captain?
Garcia is the leading European Ryder Cup points scorer with 28.5 points.
He has played in 10 Ryder Cups from 1999 through to his last in 2021.
Garcia didn't play in the 2010 Ryder Cup when he took a break following a drop in form.
But he was named as a vice captain for the 2010 event at Celtic Manor, which Europe won 14.5-13.5.
Garcia is the current captain of his LIV Golf team Fireballs, which includes Carlos Ortiz, Abraham Ancer and Eugenio Chacarra.
IMPRESIONANTE TEAM EUROPE! Enhorabuena por un despliegue de golf de altísima calidad. Orgullosísimo de todo el equipo y que la copa esté de vuelta en manos europeas! pic.twitter.com/iCEQD6dwWp
— Sergio Garcia (@TheSergioGarcia) October 1, 2023
Europe defeated USA 16.5-11.5 at Marco Simone in Rome last week, and Garcia took to Twitter to congratulate them on Sunday.
Garcia tweeted (we have translated):
Despite Garcia's apparent interest in the role of 2025 European Ryder Cup captaincy, the clear favourite is victorious 2023 captain Luke Donald.
Rory McIlroy led a chant "two more years, two more years..." during the victory celebrations at Marco Simone last week as the rest of Team Europe joined in.
Two more years, @LukeDonald #TeamEurope | #RyderCup pic.twitter.com/YmB5IOtt6m
— Ryder Cup Europe (@RyderCupEurope) October 1, 2023
McIlroy admits he would be "very happy" should Donald take the regins once again.
He also revealed what will happen in 2025.
Donald, who will be 47 in 2025, was pressed as to whether he would fancy the gig again, to which he responded:
Donald added:
In a GolfMagic poll we put out on Twitter about Donald, a large majority of you want him back again too:
Would you like to see Luke Donald captain the 2025 European #RyderCup team?
— GolfMagic (@GolfMagic) October 1, 2023
Would McIlroy even want Garcia?!
McIlroy and Garcia's relationship has taken something of a twist in recent years.
They reportedly had a big bust-up following Garcia's move to LIV Golf last summer.
Garcia and McIlroy had been the best of friends prior to LIV Golf's emergence.
McIlroy even served as one of Garcia's groomsmen at his wedding in 2017.
But despite their brief rift they are now back on speaking terms as a result of their wives getting involved.
One man who has ruled himself out of captaining the 2025 European Ryder Cup side is 1999 Open champion Paul Lawrie.
Lawrie has lost interest having been snubbed multiple times for the role in recent years.
No chance of that. I’ve tried 3 times and been no where near getting the job so won’t be trying again, Luke or Paul Mcginlay should do bethpage imo. https://t.co/9yIcXTN5V8
— Paul Lawrie (@PaulLawriegolf) October 2, 2023
They don’t give reasons why just tell you whether you’ve received enough votes or not https://t.co/YU4sU4skv8
— Paul Lawrie (@PaulLawriegolf) October 3, 2023
Who should captain the 2025 European Ryder Cup team? Should Sergio Garcia be given a chance to return to the team? What about the likes of Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson, Graeme McDowell and Martin Kaymer? Who will skipper the US Ryder Cup in 2025? Would you like to see Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson in charge of things? Share your thoughts and comments over on the GolfMagic social media channels.
