Garcia faces Ryder Cup deadline day

Sergio Garcia has until Friday to decide if he will play in the Majorca Open this month, knowing that he will otherwise bring one of the Ryder Cup’s most garlanded careers to an anti-climactic end.

Europe’s rules state that only DP World Tour members are eligible, and to retain his card the Spaniard needs to tee it up in a minimum of four events, including one in his homeland. So far, the world No81 has played in three this year, and as he is contracted to compete in a trio of LIV Golf Series events in the next four weeks – starting on Friday in Bangkok – Majorca is his only chance to add a fourth before the season finale in Dubai next month.

Garcia, 42, the Ryder Cup’s alltime leading points-scorer, has been a European Tour member for 24 years and, after resigning from the PGA Tour, has spoken of his desire to continue on his home circuit.

However, there is a legal hearing in February that could leave the DP World Tour free to issue indefinite bans to the rebels who joined the Saudi-funded league.

Jon Rahm, the world No6 with whom Garcia won three out of three for Europe in Wisconsin last year, hopes his countryman is available for next year’s match in Rome. “I would like Sergio to be able to play it, but we’ll see what happens,” Rahm said at the Spanish Open yesterday.

Europe captain Luke Donald and Zach Johnson, his United States counterpart, have been together in the past few days at year-to-go celebrations in the Italian capital and Donald expressed his belief that the match could bring the game together. “The Ryder Cup is bigger than any individual and it’s a great way to unify everyone,” he said.