Word is Sergio Garcia is plotting a course that would directly take him to the Ryder Cup. European captain Luke Donald revealed he had been in talks with the Spaniard regarding the procedure. The LIV Golf pro is willing to pay the fine in hopes of earning a Ryder Cup spot. That remains debatable, given the mild hostility that still exists between players from both sides. And more importantly, the a lack of clarity regarding the future of the merger. 

Having said that, it’s a good opportunity to relook at the Spaniard’s best moments from the tournament he loves the most. But his Ryder Cup is… quite diverse. From his beef with a former captain to those countless times, he embodied the spirit that the European Team easily channels almost every edition. Here are four moments that define Garcia’s Ryder Cup legacy.

The rift that wasn’t supposed to be—Nick Faldo vs. Sergio Garcia

Who would you expect Sergio Garcia to fight with? Tiger Woods. Yes. Phil Mickelson? Maybe. Patrick Reed? Why not? Both are passionate about the Ryder Cup. But Garcia’s biggest feud is with… Nick Faldo. The Spaniard and the Englishman were at each other’s throats post-Valhalla debacle. 

Garcia, by that time, was a mainstay of the European team. And perhaps the most dependable player in Faldo’s squad. Until he wasn’t. Garcia’s 2008 Ryder Cup record was an astonishing 0-2-2. Rookie Anthony Kim defeated him 5-6 on Sunday. Europe lost by five points. And Faldo didn’t hold back. 

Reminiscing about that disastrous campaign, Faldo dubbed Garcia ‘useless’ in Valhalla. The insinuation was Sergio Garcia was more bothered with a personal problem (breakup with Greg Norman’s daughter, namely) than the match at hand. The Spanish International wasn’t happy. In 2018, he became the highest point scorer in Ryder Cup history. And here is how he described the elation: “I have passed some of my heroes today—and Nick Faldo.”

The Jim Furyk vs. Sergio Garcia showdown

In the 2012 iteration, the USA went to the Sunday within a reachable distance of Ryder Cup glory. Jim Furyk and Sergio Garcia faced off in a duel where the odds were heavily favoring the Americans. The match, however, boiled down to the last hole and to a six-footer. 

Furyk, after lining up, reading the putt, and finding the right line, missed it. When Sergio Garcia’s turn came, the Spaniard was never going to miss. Garcia clenched his fist, roared, and gave Europe a lead (13-12) for the first time in the tournament. 

The Rory McIlroy pair-ups

Rory McIlroy, the world no. 1, and Garcia, then the world no. 3, paired up on the very first session of the 2014 Ryder Cup. It wasn’t fruitful, as Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson got the better of them. They again paired up in the afternoon. 

This time another hard-fought match against Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker produced a sigh of relief. They were getting more fired up with each hole, and the final putt came on the 18th from the Ulsterman when they needed it desperately to seal half-point.

Four years later, they once again teamed up in Paris. The foursome triumph against Brooks Koepka and Tony Finau electrified even Rory McIlroy himself. “The fire and the passion he has—it’s infectious. And it rubs off on me pretty well. We enjoy each other’s company,” McIlroy said while talking about Garcia. The Spaniard fluttered a 25-footer on the 17th that set them up for a clutch one point. Their relationship has turned frosty now after Garcia’s LIV Golf switch. 

Sergio Garcia becomes the leading point scorer

The 2018 Ryder Cup foursome triumph with Rory McIlroy took him to the cusp of history. But history wasn’t made yet. Garcia needed to cross the finish line to become the Ryder Cup’s all-time top-point scorer and topple Nick Faldo. On Sunday at Le Golf National, the Spaniard went head-to-head against Rickie Fowler. The former Masters winner dispatched Fowler 2&1, securing one point to reach 25.5.

It was consequential for one more reason. Thomas Bjorn’s selection of Garcia raised many eyebrows. Garcia was coming off a horrendous season with missed cuts in each of the four majors. Yet he delivered. And, of course, he crossed Nick Faldo. Garcia went on to win three more points in the next iteration and ended at 28.5.

But of course, he wants more. The Spaniard almost gave up on the Ryder Cup hopes after getting snubbed last year. However, the veteran golfer is likely buoyed by the hopes of reconciliation. More so, after PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, the PIF chief Yasir Al-Rumayyan, and DP World Tour head honcho Guy Kinnings appeared in a jolly mood at the recently concluded Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. The future is open to speculation, however.