johnnydoom
Sergio bowed out despite being assured of a captain's pick back in 2010.
His history of being a petulant brat and woe-is-me attitude is well documented, but he realized that RC year he wasn't playing well enough to be reliable for team Europe.
We're talking about the all-time leading points earner in the history of this event. (of course, he wasn't the leading points earner back in 2010, but even back then he had a reputation of being a tremendous European Ryder Cupper)
And although I agree with you overall, there yet is still a precedent where a great player acknowledged that his game wasn't up to the standard to help his team, put his pride aside, for the betterment of the team.
Monty said fine, and asked him to be a vice captain. That's the year (I think) Hunter Mahan was playing in what would be the deciding match for the Cup against GMac, flubbed a short pitch shot on one of the closing holes, and ended up losing.
If memory serves, that is.