Europe’s Sergio Garcia vows ‘extra effort’ at Ryder Cup for murdered golfer Celia Barquin

Europe’s Sergio Garcia has vowed that the team will make “an extra effort” to claim Ryder Cup glory against the US in honor of murdered amateur star Celia Barquin Arozamena, who was found dead on a course in Iowa last week.

Spaniard Garcia is gearing up to take on the US in Paris later this week, and ahead of the event paid tribute to slain golfer Barquin.

READ MORE: Women’s amateur golf star murdered on course in Iowa

The body of the 22-year-old European women’s amateur champion from Spain was found last Monday on a golf course in Iowa, where she was completing a degree at Iowa State University. A man was charged with first-degree murder in relation to the death.

Rising star Barquin was European Ladies' Amateur Champion © Handout © AFP

The European team will pay tribute to the player by wearing yellow ribbons with 'Celia' written on them throughout the week at Le Golf National in Paris.

© Ross Kinnaird © Getty Images

Fellow Spaniard Garcia paid further tribute to her on Wednesday, saying the European team would make an extra effort to win in her honor. 

"Obviously we want to try to win the Cup for Europe, for everyone, for our team-mates, but obviously with the passing of Celia, it's an extra effort there.

"We hope that we can play as well as we can to make sure that we can achieve that. We're obviously touched by it because it's disappointing to see something happen like that, to anyone, but to someone like her even more.

"Hopefully we can make sure that the family are proud of what we are doing for her. I know they are; I haven't spoken to them, but some other people have spoken to them, and they told us that," Garcia added.

Garcia is bidding to help Europe beat the US in France © Carl Recine © Reuters

"My dad spoke to her uncle and it was very sad when we found out on Tuesday morning in Portugal, for many reasons, not only because she was way too young, but she was just too nice of a person, and the way it happened.

"Unfortunately this things happen in the world and nowadays more than ever. It's sad. The only thing we can do is pay a great tribute to her and make sure that her family feels proud of us, and I know they feel proud of her," added the 38-year-old Garcia.

A touching picture which was widely re-posted on social media this week showed Garcia alongside a young Barquin. The female golfer originally shared the picture after Garcia’s maiden win at the US Masters in 2017.

Barquin, originally from Puente San Miguel in Spain, was a rising star in the world of women’s golf, winning this year’s European Ladies Amateur Championship.

She competed in the US Women’s Open this summer, and was also the reigning champion of the prestigious 'Big 12' university women's golf championship. 

Her body was discovered on the morning of Monday September 17 at Coldwater Golf Links, after players noticed a bag lying abandoned on the course. Police later determined that she had been assaulted before she died.

Collin Daniel Richards, 22, of no fixed address, has been charged with first-degree murder over her death.