Sergio Garcia has been on five winning Ryder Cup team so he has a fair idea what it takes to win the thing.
“You don’t win Ryder Cups with your mouth”, he said, when asked to consider comments such as TV analyst Johnny Miller opining that this was the worst European team in recent Ryder Cup history.
“That and Davis saying they have maybe the greatest team ever assembled, they are pretty much motivating factors,” said the Spaniard before the first practice session at Hazeltine. “Everyone has an opinion and good for them. But we know what we have and that’s the most important thing for us.
“We know you don’t win Ryder Cups with your mouth, you win them out on the golf course. And we’ll see that this weekend.”
With seven matches under his belt, Sergio has a role as one of the senior men on a pretty inexperienced European team this year, and seems set to take on that role which he’s not exactly embraced in the past.
Other than his own debut in 1999, Garcia has played virtually every foursomes and fourball session and partnered a rookie just once – Nicolas Colsaerts in 2012. With six debutants on Darren Clarke’s team, he realises he may have to shoulder that load a little more and is fine with it.
“The most important thing is to make your team mate feel as comfortable as possible, and usually that makes them relax and play better,” he said. “It seems like it’s easier for us to achieve than maybe in the other team.
“Personally, I look at the European team and I can’t see a guy I wouldn’t be comfortable or happy playing with. I think that kind of says it all.”
Even though he himself is based mostly on the PGA Tour, he feels that the European Tour culture is what allows this to happen.
“It’s a lot closer between the players on the European Tour, you build more relationships,” he said. “The PGA Tour is a great tour, obviously it’s amazing, but I would say it’s a little less personal than Europe, and it makes it a little easier for us to get along.”
But all the camaraderie in the world won’t count if Europe aren’t aggressive and confident, added the Spaniard.
“Even though we’ve won three in a row, the most important thing is knowing that this is not a done deal,” he said. “We’re on a good run, but it’s going to be toiugh and we’ve been telling all the rookies, you’re going to have to fight hard.
“This is a strong US team. We have to stay very, very aggressive and be as confident as you can be out there.”
