Jose Maria Olazabal tips Sergio Garcia to win back Ryder place in US

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 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 now 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.

“If things go as well as they have this year I feel I have a very good chance.

“I’m feeling much more confident about my game. What I’m feeling right now is very different to what I was feeling before.

“Last year I was here physically, but not mentally. I tried hard, but my mind wasn’t where it needed to be. Now I feel like I am ready to fight, even if things don’t go as planned.”

Garcia played with tennis ace Rafael Nadal in yesterday’s pro-am and is in the star group today and tomorrow as well.

His partners for the first two rounds are 18-year-old Italian Matteo Manassero, whose victory last year made him the youngest winner in European Tour history, and England’s 20-year-old Tom Lewis, whose win at the Portugal Masters on Sunday came in only his third professional event.

Garcia achieved the feat in six starts – and his fourth in Europe – 12 years ago and Manassero in his 12th on the circuit as a pro.