Ryder Cup 2018: Sergio Garcia has nothing to prove for Team Europe at Le Golf National
European Ryder Cup veteran Sergio Garcia insists he has nothing to prove in this year's event after Thomas Bjorn named him as his most controversial wild card selection.
Garcia won the 2017 Masters but has missed the cut in his last five major championship starts, with his only top-10 finish in a strokeplay event since March coming in the French Open at the Ryder Cup venue of Le Golf National.
"I don't need to show anyone," said the 38-year-old.
"The only thing I have to do is go out there and help team Europe, my team-mates and my captain and vice-captains - not only with the game on the golf course but outside, in the team room and everything.
"There are things that are important to have in a team. I think that is one of the reasons why Thomas (Bjorn, European captain) picked me, not only because of the game he knows I can play but what I can bring outside of the golf course into the team room and stuff."
Garcia closing in on Ryder Cup points record
🐦 Birdie fest! 🐦
— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) September 17, 2018
The countdown continues to the 42nd Ryder Cup and our latest throwback is to an iconic tussle between Sergio Garcia and Phil Mickelson at Hazeltine! ⛳💥
Watch the Ryder Cup live on Sky Sports' dedicated Ryder Cup channel and #BelieveInBlue! 🇪🇺 pic.twitter.com/gjKYv69tfg
Garcia has not competed since the middle of August, a tie for 24th in the Wyndham Championship proving insufficient to qualify for the play-offs via the top 125 on the FedEx Cup standings.
"I told Thomas, 'If you end up picking me, I'll make sure that I play something coming into the Ryder Cup'," added Garcia, who needs three points in Paris to overtake Nick Faldo as the top European points scorer in Ryder Cup history.
"I didn't want to be without playing for four or five weeks coming into such a big and amazing event. Portugal seemed like a good fit and I'm happy that I decided to come here. Obviously the course is nice, it's going to be a good test and I'm excited for it.
"I took a couple of weeks off and started practising again. The game feels pretty good. Obviously there are some things here and there that I would love to do a little bit better and that's what I'm working on. The game overall feels good.
"It's just a matter of hopefully getting some good momentum, start building on that. If I can do that then I can gain some confidence and some good rhythm, that's the goal this week.
"Obviously getting a win would be amazing, you can't beat confidence. That would be nice but more than anything I just want to get some rhythm, get some competition juices flowing, that's one of the main reasons that I wanted to come here."
Olesen relishing Ryder Cup debut
Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen is the only other member of the Ryder Cup team competing in Vilamoura, a place he knows well.
"It's a place I always like to come back to," Olesen said. "I actually went here earlier this year to train for five days with my coach and caddie. It's a place I've always enjoyed coming to - nice weather, good food.
"I feel like I know the course really well. I haven't particularly performed the last few years here but I still feel like I've played pretty well. Qualifying for the Ryder Cup didn't make a change at all.
"I probably took eight or nine days off without any golf, so obviously started the middle of last week to get back into it and I'm slowly getting back into the rhythm and hopefully can be fully ready on Thursday."
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