Since his defection to LIV last year, Sergio Garcia has landed in a series of rough spots. However, his ineligibility to appear in the Ryder Cup is undoubtedly the harshest of them. The Spaniard is, after all, a Ryder Cup hero. Since 1999, he had ten appearances in the competition and even holds a European Cup record!

As the golf world debates Garcia’s absence from the Ryder Cup, a former Team Europe captain has now also weighed in on the situation. Let’s dive in to find out more!

Former Ryder Cup captain speaks out against LIV pros

Earlier this year, Paul McGinley stepped down as a board member on the DP World Tour. The four-time European Tour winner had previously been appointed to the role after leading Team Europe to a victory in the 2014 Ryder Cup. However, McGinley continues to have the Tour’s best interests at heart.

Now, the 56-year-old has voiced his support for the DP World Tour’s win in the arbitration case against LIV rebels, allowing the former to issue sanctions against golfers who appeared on the rival circuit without prior permission. “It was very, very simple in my eyes,” the Irish Golfer reported McGinley as saying. “You’re leaving to start a rival competitive tour to the one you’re already on, and if you do that, there’ll be repercussions.” The likes of Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, and Ian Poulter were among the LIV pros who had been affected due to the ruling. Consequently, they also resigned from the European Tour. 

McGinley further pointed out that LIV had taken away a handful of events from the Tour, including the Valderrama event. The iconic golf course in Spain has served as the turf for the DP World Tour’s Andalucia Masters eight times. This time, however, the coveted tournament is not a part of the 2023 schedule. Instead, the Saudi-backed breakaway league is all set to host LIV Valderrama from June 30 to July 2.

Also Read: 24 Years Later, Sergio Garcia Saddened by Unfortunate End to His Legacy

“Why can’t we enforce rules to say, ‘guys, you were great when you were part of the DP World Tour, you’re now a competitor of ours and we’re going to treat you as such,'” he said. “End of story.” In 2014, Garcia, Westwood, and Poulter were part of the McGinley-led team that beat Team USA at Gleneagles. 

While McGinley has extreme sentiments about LIV golfers, several have lamented about their absence from Ryder Cup. Just days ago, Sergio Garcia found support from fellow Spaniard and World No. 2 Jon Rahm.

Jon Rahm weighs in on Sergio Garcia not being in the Ryder Cup

No other golfer has witnessed as much success in the Ryder Cup as 2017 Masters winner Sergio Garcia. In 2021, he became the player with the most matches won in the coveted tournament, surpassing Sir Nick Faldo’s 23 victories. His overall haul of 28.5 points is higher than any other player in Ryder Cup’s history!

With the 2023 edition kicking off in months, Garcia’s presence will be missed by many, including fellow Spaniard Jon Rahm. “It’s a little sad to me that politics have gotten in the way of such a beautiful event,” Rahm said ahead of the 2023 Memorial Tournament. “Who is playing LIV and who is not playing LIV to me shouldn’t matter.”

The Marco Simone Golf and Country Club near Rome will host the Ryder Cup later this year. This is the second time in 24 years that Garcia will not be playing in the tournament.

Watch This Story: ‘My Dad Taught Me How to Do It’: Sergio Garcia Takes Matters Into His Own Hands Hours Before $20,000,000 Event 

Do you agree with Paul McGinley’s comments? Let us know in the comments below.