Sergio Garcia makes 2027 Ryder Cup captaincy claim

Sergio Garcia says there have been talks about him becoming the European Ryder Cup captain for the 2027 match at Adare Manor.

The Spaniard made the claim during an interview with Middle East media outlet Al Arabiya News ahead of this week’s LIV Golf League season opener in Saudi Arabia.

Garcia is the record points-scorer in the event’s history – managing 28.5 points across ten appearances – but he was widely considered to have forfeited any future role in the contest after aligning with LIV when it launched in the summer of 2022.

However, a cooling of tensions between men’s professional golf’s warring factions may yet open the door for the former Masters champion to resume his Ryder Cup career and, whilst he would like that to be in a playing capacity, he insists that taking over from current skipper Luke Donald is not off the table.

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“I would love to be playing still,” said Garcia when asked about his 2027 match prospects. “Obviously there have been some talks or there were some talks about maybe the possibility of me being the captain there. But obviously my focus as of now is on playing and hopefully making a few more Ryder Cups if my game is good enough.

“And when that doesn’t happen, then we can try to focus on other things. But I don’t want to think about that until I know that I’m not good enough to be a part of it.”

More immediately, Garcia has his sights set on qualifying for Donald’s side for this year’s match at Bethpage now that he has been reinstated as a member of the DP World Tour, formerly the European Tour.

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“I love the Ryder Cup,” he added. “Everyone knows that. It’s my favourite event of the year in golf. I think that we’re members of the European Tour again, of the DP World Tour. That was the first criteria to be eligible to be a part of the Ryder Cup.

“Now it’s going to depend on how I play throughout the year. And hopefully, with the amount of tournaments that I’m going to play, hopefully if I play really, really well, I can make it on my own.

“If not, then obviously I will depend on a pick from the captain. But we’ll see. The only thing I can do is play the best golf that I can play and then see where that kind of puts me.”

Michael McEwan is bunkered's Head of Content and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Head of Content