Fitzpatrick backs Sergio Garcia for '23 Ryder Cup: "I'm happy to share a room!"

England's Matthew Fitzpatrick says he's not bothered if LIV Golf players participate in the 2023 Ryder Cup. 

Ben Smith's picture
Tue, 3 Jan 2023
Fitzpatrick backs Sergio Garcia for '23 Ryder Cup: "I'm happy to share a room!"

England's Matthew Fitzpatrick joked he'd be willing to share a room with Sergio Garcia at the 2023 Ryder Cup after personal relationships were fractured over the emergence of LIV Golf. 

Speaking to Sky Sports, the 2022 U.S. Open champion insisted he's "not bothered" if players from the rival tour peg it up at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in September. 

"I just want to win," said the 29-year-old ahead of making his 2023 debut in Kapalua at the Sentry Tournament of Champions on the PGA Tour

He added: 

"I think there definitely are a few personal relationships that have been dented by this. I'm not bothered, I just want to win, and I'm sure those boys do too."

Asked which player Ryder Cup Europe would miss the most, Fitzpatrick said he believed Garcia would be the biggest loss. 

He said: 

"Sergio would be the one that would stand out for me, particularly. 
"I don't know the details of [his relationship with McIlroy]. I'm happy to share a room with him, if that's going to be the case, I can corner him off for everyone else."

Garcia is the record points scorer for Ryder Cup Europe. The Spaniard had an interesting 2022 to say the least. 

First there was his rant towards a PGA Tour official where he exclaimed he "couldn't wait" to leave "this tour". 

He also allegedly flew off the handle when the DP World Tour fined him for playing in LIV's inaugural event last June. 

Garcia denied this but he also upset the European-based circuit further when he withdrew from the BMW PGA Championship in September citing no medical reason. 

He was subsequently fined

In early December, Garcia then launched a blistering attack on his former Ryder Cup team mates, accusing some of lacking class

Clearly, one of the fractured relationships Fitzpatrick alluded to is that of Garcia and Rory McIlroy

McIlroy spent the majority of 2022 fielding questions about LIV, Greg Norman and the future of the pro golf. 

It later emerged that Garcia told the Northern Irishman via text to "shut up" about the Saudi-backed league. 

McIlroy told how he felt offended by Garcia's text rant and responded with a few daggers of his own

Fitzpatrick, whose brother Alex turned down LIV Golf, doesn't have a problem with the rival tour. 

But he believes that once you leave you shouldn't come back. 

"As long as you go and don't come back, I don't have an issue. Go take the money, go play wherever you want, I could not care less, just don't come back and then take spots from other guys that want to play.
"I understand that there's the likes of Westy, Poulter and Sergio that have played a lot in Europe over the years and have done their bit, and they have. I can't ever knock them for that, they've done way more than I have for the European Tour."

Next page: Nine players who changed their mind about LIV Golf