With just three weeks to go until the Ryder Cup tees off at Bethpage Black, the excitement is in the air, especially after both teams declared their squads of 12 .

But one name that won't be there is Sergio Garcia, and his absence is stirring emotions far beyond the leaderboard.

Garcia, the Ryder Cup's all-time leading scorer, withdrew from this week's Amgen Irish Open at The K Club after being left off Luke Donald's final 12-man roster.

The Spaniard quietly stepped away from competition and instead made a surprise appearance at the US Open tennis quarterfinals in New York.

Back in Ireland, McIlroy, who automatically qualified for Team Europe and will make his eighth Ryder Cup appearance, shared his thoughts on Garcia's absence.

"He was supposed to be here," McIlroy told reporte

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