Ryder Cup hero Sergio Garcia on Tuesday predicted there would be up to five players who would make their debuts in this year's European team.

Speaking in Doha, ahead of his first tournament of the year, the Qatar Masters, Garcia said he expected new players to come to the fore this season.

"I would probably expect to see four or five new faces," he told reporters.

"That's the way it looks at the moment. You never know as the year goes by, but at the moment it looks like there's probably between three and five young guys that could be on that team in September."

One of these could be 21-year-old Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick, added Garcia.

"Matt obviously has a good chance of making the team. He's been playing very well and has got a lot of potential."

This year's event will be held at Hazletine, Minnesota, in September.

Garcia is likely to be in the team and playing for his sixth victory in a Ryder Cup.

This week he will seek to win back the Qatar Masters trophy he won in 2014.

He will be challenged in a strong field by defending champion Branden Grace and another South African, Louis Oosthuizen.

On Tuesday, a relaxed Oozthuizen, sporting a new beard, said he wanted to challenge for more titles in 2016.

"I'm ready to start the season," he said.

"I like the golf course and I like playing in windy conditions.

But he also claimed that Grace could become the first player ever to win back-to-back Qatar Masters because of the windy conditions.

"He grew up with it. We grew up close to each other back in South Africa and he obviously likes this golf course, so I'll never write him off."

The $2.5 million Qatar Masters is part of the European Tour.

Usually one of the best starters to a year on the tour, Oosthuizen revealed that he had relaxed prior to the season starting by holidaying with his family in Namibia.
Source: AFP