Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy has voiced his puzzlement regarding Sergio Garcia's choice to skip the Irish Open following his exclusion from Europe's Ryder Cup squad.

The four-time major champion admitted he cannot comprehend why the Spanish veteran feels aggrieved about missing out on a captain's selection for the prestigious team event.

Garcia had been scheduled to compete at The K Club near Dublin this week but withdrew after Luke Donald revealed his six wildcard picks on Monday, with the Spaniard notably absent from the list.

The LIV Golf player's absence from the tournament arrives amid his expressed disappointment at failing to secure a place in the European team for the upcoming contest at Bethpage Black in New York later this month.

Rory McIlroy admitted he did not understand Sergio Garcia's decision to withdraw from the Irish Open

Speaking at The K Club on Wednesday, McIlroy was forthright in his assessment of the situation.

"No, I don't (understand)," McIlroy stated when questioned about Garcia's position.

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"I mean, it would have been great for the tournament if Sergio played, but obviously, he was trying to keep himself sharp, I guess, if he did get a pick."

The world number three acknowledged Garcia's prerogative whilst endorsing Donald's selections.

"He has the right to enter and pull out of whatever tournaments he wants to. As I said, Luke, has assembled a very strong 12 players, and I think the right 12 players, and I'm sure he's disappointed," McIlroy continued.

"But you know, at the same time, I'm sure he wishes Europe well and wants us to win."

Garcia revealed his emotional state following the snub, explaining his decision to step away from competition.

"I felt like I was so looking forward to being a part of that team, and so I felt like mentally, you know, mentally it was kind of tough," the 45-year-old admitted.

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The Spaniard, who holds the record for most Ryder Cup points earned in the competition's history, indicated the psychological toll influenced his withdrawal.

"I didn't want to go there and not be fully engaged in the tournament and stuff, so I just decided to take a little bit of time off and spend it with the family and do a couple of things, you know, some things outside of golf and just kind of reboot a little bit, recharge the batteries," Garcia explained.

Donald ultimately chose Jon Rahm, Shane Lowry, Ludvig Aberg, Viktor Hovland, Sepp Straka and Matt Fitzpatrick as his six wildcards, with all having featured in Europe's victorious campaign in Rome two years ago.

McIlroy praised the composition of the squad, suggesting the players possess greater versatility than the 2023 team.

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"I think now we have a lot of flexibility within that 12 in foursomes or fourballs to change the dynamics around a little bit," he observed.

The Northern Irishman acknowledged the formidable challenge awaiting Europe at Bethpage Black, where no visiting team has triumphed in America since 2012.

"Make no mistake, we know we're up against it, we know we've got a tall task on our hands," McIlroy cautioned, whilst maintaining optimism about Europe's prospects.