Even a rekindled friendship with Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy might not be enough for Spaniard Sergio Garcia to return to Team Europe at the Ryder Cup in September.

Garcia and countryman Jon Rahm teamed to win all three matches they played at Whistling Straits in 2021 and are close friends. McIlroy has been a part of Team Europe for most of Garcia’s two decades as a Ryder Cup mainstay.

Rahm said last week Garcia’s status on the DP World Tour should be viewed separate of his Ryder Cup eligibility. When Garcia joined LIV Golf, he was unable to retain his DP World Tour membership.

“With all the respect for European players, the only one from LIV Golf that I would choose for the Ryder Cup team would be Sergio Garcia, even if he was missing a leg,” Rahm said in a podcast interview with Golf Sin Etiquetas.

Garcia said Wednesday that he knows Rahm will be successful in the Ryder Cup but might need a new partner given the current climate between tours.

“It is disappointing to see that I’m not going to be able to be part of the Ryder Cup this year and the DP World Tour for the same matter,” Garcia said.

“We’ve talked a lot about it, him and I,” Garcia said of Rahm. “Obviously, yeah, everyone knows how much I love the Ryder Cup and the bonds that we’ve been able to build and are created in those Ryder Cups. Obviously Jon is no different. We had a great time. We obviously are good friends, and our friendship kind of got even stronger after the last Ryder Cup. Yeah, it is going to be a shame. I will miss him, too. But hopefully he’ll find another partner that suits him, and they can do well together.”

–Field Level Media