Sergio Garcia will definitely be in
Europe's Ryder Cup side for the biennial clash against the U.S. at The Belfry
in September, captain Sam Torrance said on Thursday.
Torrance told the Daily Express newspaper
that the 21-year-old Spaniard would be one of his two wild card picks if he missed
out on one of the 10 automatic places.
"He has won twice in America and just
has to be in the team. There is no way he will be left out," said Torrance.
"But Sergio still wants to earn his
place in the side and has offered to play more in Europe over the next few months
so he can free up a pick for me. That shows incredible commitment. He is a stalwart
of the team."
Torrance added: "My ideal scenario
is for Garcia, Bernhard Langer, Jose Maria Olazabal and Jesper Parnevik to be
involved in a play-off for the (British) Open.
"I have a very strong-looking team
already, but these four guys are extremely strong and I want them in. I would
love them to gain automatic places in the side. I would rather not have to use
up my two picks."
The top 10 in the European Ryder Cup
standings going into this week's British Open at Royal Lytham are: Darren Clarke,
Thomas Bjorn, Padraig Harrington, Pierre Fulke, Lee Westwood, Colin Montgomerie,
Phillip Price, Paul McGinley, Mathias Gronberg and Andrew Coltart.
Garcia has been playing this season
in America, where performances do not count towards European Ryder Cup points.
Victories this year in the Buick Classic
and MasterCard Colonial indicate that Garcia could be a strong contender for the
Open title.
