Ryder Cup winner receives brutal verdict from Sir Nick Faldo – 'Not in a million years'

Sir Nick Faldo made it perfectly clear what he thought when asked about Sergio Garcia's Ryder Cup snub. Garcia, who has earned more points than any other player in the history of the event, fell short in his bid to qualify for Bethpage Black and was left out of Luke Donald's team.

His hopes of being a captain's pick were dashed as Donald opted for a different direction. Garcia revealed the disappointing phone call he received from the captain confirming his fate.

There's no denying that Garcia's experience would have been a significant advantage for Europe in the challenging environment of Bethpage Black. His record in the tournament is unmatched, having amassed 28.5 points from his ten appearances.

However, the 45-year-old's form dipped after his victory at LIV Golf Hong Kong in March. He failed to make the cut at the Masters and was not a contender in either the US Open or The Open Championship, reports the Mirror US.

Faldo, a six-time major champion who played in 11 Ryder Cups and captained Europe's defeat at Valhalla in 2008, suggested that Garcia was mistaken if he thought he had a chance of making the team when it was announced earlier this month.

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This weekend, Faldo will be working for the Golf Channel, filling in for lead analyst Kevin Kisner, who is serving as one of Keegan Bradley's vice-captains for Team USA.

When questioned about whether Garcia deserved a spot on the 12-man European team, he responded bluntly: "I'll just be kind and say not in a million years."

Faldo and Garcia have had their fair share of verbal spats over the years. In 2014, six years after his disastrous captaincy stint, Faldo criticised Garcia for his performance at Valhalla.

"He was useless. Half a point, bad attitude. Anyway, we move on six years later," the Briton remarked. In 2023, Faldo took another swipe at Garcia when the Spaniard expressed regret over the deterioration of his friendship with Rory McIlroy following the LIV Golf split.

Garcia pointed the finger at McIlroy for a "lack of maturity," which prompted Faldo to call out the 2017 Masters champion on social media. He posted: "Now this is rich coming from the most immature player I've ever witnessed!".

Two years later, it's evident that there's still no love lost between the Englishman and the Spaniard, especially from Faldo's side.

Europe and the USA begin the 2025 Ryder Cup with the morning foursomes on Friday morning, with play scheduled to get underway at 12:10pm UK time. Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton will face Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas in the first match of the day, before the three remaining double acts take to the tee.