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Pablo Larrazabal would love to join Luke Donald's team for the Ryder Cup this year. Donald is a captain of the 2023 squad and is looking to round out his team to take on Zach Johnson's American squad.
In an interview following the KLM Open, in which Larrazabal was victorious, Donald reached out to the golfer and said:
"Yeah, I received a very kind message yesterday from Luke [Donald], saying, 'Uh-oh, you got my attention.' So yeah, I know Luke is looking with his left eye like, '... be careful!'"
He also admitted that he was awestruck by watching a Ryder Cup up close and has dreamed of playing in one since. Jon Rahm, a fellow Spaniard, could be his teammate, which is something he said would be incredible.
The KLM Open was Larrazabal's ninth win on the European Tour, so he has the pedigree to be a real competitor in Luke Donald's arsenal. Via ESPN, Larrazabal was pleased with his victory overall:
"It was a battle with myself. I didn't play well. I managed myself out there, holed a few great putts on the front nine and did my best to keep myself in position, then three birdies in the last four. To win golf tournaments, you have to make birdies at the end. It doesn't matter how fast you run at the beginning, you have to run faster at the end to win the race."
He shot 13 under par for the event and came away with a victory and his place on Donald's radar.
Luke Donald is facing an interesting decision with Ryder Cup
The LIV Golf-PGA Tour debate has encroached on the Ryder Cup and captains Zach Johnson and Luke Donald have tough decisions to make. LIV isn't barred from the competition and they can be among the six remaining selections each captain can make for his team.
That means that players like Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson (a former captain) and others are available.
Sergio Garcia said about the decision via Tennis World USA:
"I spoke to him two or three weeks ago. Obviously I had some decisions to make when it came to the DP World Tour, and I wanted to see where I stood with regards to the Ryder Cup."
He continued:
"Luke is a good friend - they once formed a solid Ryder couple - I wanted him to be honest and tell me the truth and he pretty much told me I had no chance, little to no chance, that made my decision [to leave the European Tour] a little bit easier. It was sad because I felt that not only because of my history but because of the way I've been playing, I probably could have a chance, but it didn't sound like that."
Garcia wants his side to win, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't worried about landing a selection to the team. Playing on LIV has its consequences, but Garcia hopes Luke Donald still chooses him.
