RYDER CUP captain Padraig Harrington hopes he and Spanish star Sergio Garcia bury their feud for the sake of Team Europe.
The pair are known to have had a frosty relationship, with the Northern Irishman, 50, branding the 41-year-old a ‘sore loser’ in the past.
But Harrington handed Garcia, who has won the most amount of points in Ryder Cup history, a wildcard pick at the expense of Justin Rose.
Harrington once said of Garcia: “I’m very strong on the etiquette of the game, so I don’t tolerate people spitting in the hole, throwing their shoes or throwing golf clubs.
“That would be my attitude, and it would be quite clear where I came from. Then we went into the majors and obviously I beat him at the majors.
“I gave him every out I possibly could have at the 2007 Open.
“I was as polite as I could and was as generous as I could be, but he was a very sore loser, and he continued to be a very sore loser.
“So clearly, after that, we have had a very sticky wicket.”
He then told the Golf Channel last week: “Myself and Sergio will be an interesting case. We’ve obviously been competitors nearly all our career.
“It’s well publicised we wouldn’t necessarily have got on. The Ryder Cup is bigger than that. I think it’s probably been good for both of us.
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“I’ve always appreciated Sergio’s golf and I’ve always seen how good he is in the Ryder Cup and what he gives in the team environment.
“It’s probably easier as captain but I know Sergio does a job and it’s definitely helped our relationship. We have a common goal and we are working towards that.”
Garcia, who is set to feature in the Ryder Cup in a fourth decade following his first appearance in 1999, has stated that he and Harrington are on better terms nowadays.
Speaking to Telegraph Sport, he said: “I want to say the last four or five years we’ve had a much better relationship and now enjoy our time together.
“And I put myself at fault because I was young and I wanted to win majors and he got a couple of majors from me and it made me feel bad.
“However, he was a competitor just like me and wanted to win just like me, so there was nothing wrong from his point of view.
“But once we get to the Ryder Cup you think about all those things and put your arms around each other – at least, that’s what we do on our side.”
His last comment was a sneaky dig at Team USA’s Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka, who have been picked by captain Steve Stricker despite their differences.
The pair are known to have one of golf’s biggest rivalries, with the duo having their fair share of run-ins over the years.
But Stricker will be hoping DeChambeau and Koepka take a leaf out of Harrington and Garcia’s book as the US side look to win just their third Ryder Cup since 1999.
