Garcia: Ryder Cup race
It's a great golf course but, you know, probably the toughest PGA I've ever played I think.
Sergio Garcia on Oakland Hills
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Sergio Garcia admits he is looking for a big week at the USPGA to play himself into Europe's Ryder Cup team.
The Spaniard has not missed a match against the Americans since making his debut at Brookline in 1999, but as things presently stand would not qualify by right for Nick Faldo's team.
Although 24th on the European points list, Garcia is only one place out of the team on the world points list and thus knows a good showing at Oakland Hills would go a long way to helping him maintain his proud record.
The 28-year-old is no stranger to the Michigan course having starred for Europe in their 2004 victory over the States at the same venue taking 4 and half points from his five matches that year.
Garcia is hoping those happy memories can help to inspire him this week, but knows a failure to perform between now and the end of the season will leave him relying on a wildcard pick from Faldo.
"I haven't talked to him," Garcia said, referring to Faldo. "I don't know if he'll hope me to do well, but I'm hoping to do well myself and put myself in a good position to make the team.
"Obviously it's one of my goals, and I'm working on it to hopefully make it.
"I do look (at the standings). I do look to see how I am doing. I don't get, you know, in the way of saying, 'okay, if I finish third here, I'll get this many points and then if this guy finishes that' - no.
"I like to see where I am standing and how close I am of making the team and I know if I have a good week, I'll get myself back in, and if I don't, I'll have to keep working. That's pretty much the only way I look at it."
Garcia will give himself every chance to make the team before it is decided on August 31 by concentrating on his world ranking.
To that end he has signed up to play at the opening FedEx Cup tournaments; the Barclays in New Jersey and the Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston.
"I'm going to play Barclays and Boston, so those will be my two, my last two chances to get on to the team," he added.
"I hope that I don't have to get to those two, but you know, at least I still have two more, this one and two more chances to try to get in it."
Changes at Oakland Hills
The Spaniard did concede, though, that Oakland Hills had changed a bit since his last visit in 2004 and is in no doubt the alterations it has undergone will make it a tougher proposition this week.
"Obviously the look of the course is pretty much the same," he continued. "It's a lot tougher than it was at The Ryder Cup.
"The rough is thicker. They have added some good length. Bunkers are a little bit deeper. So it's definitely playing tougher than it was at The Ryder Cup.
"It's a great golf course but, you know, probably the toughest PGA I've ever played I think."
