‘I didn’t want to go’ LIV star who had Rory McIlroy as groomsman explains 11th hour Irish Open snub

Two-time major winner Sergio Garcia will not be playing at the K Club this week. He was once close to McIlroy before their relationship broke down

Former Irish Open winner Sergio Garcia will be absent from the K Club this week as he comes to terms with his omission from the Ryder Cup squad. Garcia, who made the switch to LIV golf in 2023, hasn’t appeared in the Ryder Cup since 2021 but following an impressive campaign on the breakaway circuit, the Spaniard was optimistic he had earned his place in captain Luke Donald’s thinking.

However, the 2017 Masters victor saw Donald stick with virtually the same lineup from 2023, with only Rasmus Hojgaard stepping in for his twin brother Nicolai in the sole alteration to the team that triumphed in Rome two years prior.

Speaking to Golf Magic in an interview released this week, 1999 Irish Open winner Garcia revealed he chose not to compete in Kildare this week following his disappointment at missing out on a captain’s selection.

“I felt like I was so looking forward to being a part of that team, and so I felt like mentally, it was kind of tough,” Garcia said, reports the Irish Mirror.

“I didn’t want to go there and not be fully engaged in the tournament and stuff, so I just decided to take a little bit of time off and spend it with the family. Do a couple of things outside of golf and just kind of reboot a little bit, recharge the batteries.”

Garcia and McIlroy were once good friends with McIlroy even taking the role of groomsman at Garcia’s wedding.

Garcia’s move to LIV and McIlroy’s criticism of the Saudi-backed breakaway tour saw that relationship collapse. However, amid talks of a merger, Garcia said of Rory ‘We talked and had a great conversation.”

Regarding the Spaniard’s conversation with Donald breaking the news of his non-selection, Garcia commented: “The call with Luke was fine. Not the call I wanted, obviously, but the conversation was fine.

“Now, the only thing I can do is support the team from home. It’s as simple as that. I’ll be watching and cheering on the European team.”

Although Garcia won’t be teeing off at Bethpage Black next month, two of his LIV colleagues will be flying the flag for Europe. Tyrrell Hatton has secured automatic qualification, while fellow defector Jon Rahm was handed a wildcard pick by Donald.

They’ll be joining forces with the likes of Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry and Justin Rose as Europe aims to clinch victory on American soil for the first time since 2014.

Before that, there’s the small matter of the Amgen Irish Open to contend with. The tournament kicks off on Sunday, with a host of star-studded pairings set to dazzle the K Club.

And who knows, with McIlroy, Lowry, Padraig Harrington and Seamus Power all in contention, we might just see a local champion crowned this week.