Garcia, considered one of the game’s top stars,  despite having never won any of the sport’s four majors, hopes to earn his place at the Olympicsover the coming months.

The top 15 men’s and women’s players will earn an automatic berth at the Games next year, with a limit of four golfers from each country allowed in the field of 60.

Garcia is currently well-placed to qualify as he currently sits in 10th place on the International Golf Federation’s Olympic Rankings.

Golf will make its return to the Olympic programme for the first time since St Louis 1904 after it was added to the list of sports for Rio 2016 at the International Olympic Committee Session in Copenhagen in 2009, along with rugby sevens.

“For me I have always been a huge fan of the Olympics,” 35-year-old Garcia told Omnisport.

“I love sports and I love watching the Olympics and watching track and field and swimming, tennis, football.

“For a golfer to have the opportunity of being considered an Olympian and being in the Olympic village with all the athletes that you watch on the TV, it would mean so much.

"At least for me it would so I really hope it happens.

“There are a lot of great things happening in 2016 - we have the Ryder Cup, the Olympics, which is something exciting and new for us.”

Garcia's comments come after American Jordan Spieth, currently ranked number one in the world and who claimed victories at the Masters and US Open events in 2015, predicted the Olympic golf tournament would be like a "fifth major".

Golf being a part of the Olympics has sparked widespread debate within the sport, with some of the game’s top players, including Adam Scott of Australia, claiming it is not a priority amid an already-packed schedule.

Scott, winner of the US Masters in 2013, hinted in November he may opt not to compete in favour of time off.

Fellow Australian and two-times winner of The Open Championship Greg Norman, however, believes his country's golfers should relish the chance of participating on the Olympic stage and says a gold medal would be “fantastic” for the nation.

Australia are likely to be represented in the men's tournament at Rio 2016 by Scott and Jason Day, ninth and second respectively in the Olympic Rankings.

“The next most important thing as far as I'm concerned is who does Australia put in the Olympics, what team?” 60-year-old Norman told Channel Seven.

“It's really important because right now we have a statement to make.

“Wouldn't it be cool, really cool, if Australia got a gold medal at the Olympics?

“That would be fantastic for this country and we definitely have the players to do it.”