Looking back on the 16½-11½ victory by the United States in Valhalla, García was congratulatory of the American effort and critical of aspects of the event.

“It was a funny kind of week,” he said. “Everything that seemed in past Ryder Cups to go our way went their way. I think our team was OK but no doubt we didn't play up to our standards. We didn't play too far away from them but the Americans played extremely well. Glenn [Murray], my caddie, said the other day, 'How many times do you see a 29 for nine holes?' Two or three a year. There were two on the Sunday. Kenny Perry and Boo Weekly shot 29. That is incredible.

“The US team played their cards well. They knew where the pins were going to be and the tees and we didn't. The locker-room we had was really, really small and uncomfortable. I wish it had been even half the size of theirs. We had two showers, one next to a toilet. At the opening ceremony they played my anthem twice, once when the Spanish flag was raised and once when the Swedish flag was raised.

“Nick Faldo's speech at the opening ceremony was too long. In past Ryder Cups there has been the captain and two or three vice-captains. It seemed like that way you covered a lot of ground. On the Sunday this year, covering all 12 of us with only two guys was rather difficult.”

García said that he was not dropped by Faldo for the Saturday morning foursomes but that he had requested a rest. “I said to Nick at midday Friday that my energy levels were not where they should be. I had been sick the previous weekend and if it had not been the Ryder Cup I would have taken a couple of weeks off.”

He also pointed out that the order of play for Sunday's singles was not just Faldo's choice, but one that had the approval of every Europe team member. “The defeat was not Faldo's fault,” García said. “Nick Faldo was not the best captain we have ever had, but I don't think he was the worst.”