Skipper Olly backs Garcia to shine as Ryder star next year

JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL is backing Sergio Garcia to be part of his Ryder Cup team next September on the course where he became a world star.

The two Spaniards are in Garcia’s home town of Castellon this week for the European Tour’s Castello Masters and Ryder Cup captain Olazabal talked up his countryman’s chances of being involved at Medinah Country Club in Chicago next year.

He said: “I am sure that Sergio will be in the Ryder Cup. “He’s got a special charisma and a solid game. He helps the team and he needs to enjoy himself on the course.

“His best motivation is to know what it feels like to be in the Ryder Cup without playing.”

Garcia, who hit the headlines when he finished second to Tiger Woods in the 1999 USPGA Championship at Medinah when he was just 19, quit golf for a while last season after slumping from second in the world to outside the top 75.

Having failed to keep his Ryder Cup place, he agreed to be one of Colin Montgomerie’s vice-captains, but despite the winning experience, the 31-year-old is adamant that it was a one-off.

“Unless I go as captain I won’t go back to the Ryder Cup if I’m not playing,” said Garcia, whose appearance this week is only his third in Europe all season.

He is back up to 49th in the rankings after coming seventh in the US Open, ninth in the British Open and 12th at the USPGA — but having lost a five-hole play-off to compatriot Pablo Larrazabal at the BMW International in June, his last victory is almost three years ago.

“Without a doubt the Ryder Cup is one of my goals next year,” he added. “I want to make it — I don’t want to be chosen and leave that pick to the captain.

“Everyone knows how special the Ryder Cup is for me. As Jose Maria said, I know what it’s like to be there without playing and I don’t want to repeat the experience.”

Meanwhile Luke Donald is in Florida and battling with American Webb Simpson to decide which of them will be the PGA Tour’s leading money-winner this season.

To nobody’s surprise, they have been paired together in the first two rounds of the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic today and Friday. “There was never really a decision to be made —– I have a chance of making history,” said Donald, who hopes to become the first man to top the US and European tour in the same season.

In Europe, Donald is well over €1m ahead of Rory McIlroy, but in the US Simpson’s second place in Georgia last Sunday took him €262,000 in front. Thus Donald has to be in the top two on Sunday. If he wins Simpson must finish runner-up on his own to claim the crown, while if Donald is solo second or in a two-way tie, Simpson misses out if he is lower than eighth or 21st respectively.