Sergio Garcia has did not qualify for The Open Championship.
The LIV Golf star headlined the last qualifying occasion at West Lancashire Golf Membership in Liverpool—one in all 4 last qualifiers throughout the UK—however Garcia shot a 3-under 141 over 36 holes, lacking out on one of many 4 spots obtainable by two strokes.
“I attempted my hardest to get into The Open; it could have been good to make The Open my one centesimal main,” Garcia stated on the radio broadcast after his spherical.
“I really like The Open, and I really like enjoying majors. Nevertheless it’s robust while you’re that shut and end proper on the sting. However sadly, I gained’t have the ability to make it.”
Garcia tried to qualify for final 12 months’s Open Championship at Royal Liverpool by means of West Lancashire Golf Membership as nicely. However he stated the course performed harder this 12 months, because of more difficult circumstances. That stated, Garcia felt comfy making his approach round these seaside hyperlinks, because of his expertise from a 12 months in the past. He knew his strains and the place to overlook pictures, however the circumstances—and different elements appeared to have gotten the most effective of him.
The Spaniard expressed frustration halfway by means of his first 18 holes, when R&A officers put Garcia on the clock for sluggish play, per Ben Parsons of Bunkered.
Sergio Garcia livid at his sluggish play warning at Closing Open Qualifying – saying followers are inflicting the delays. Right here he’s taking his anger out at two R&A officers.
“You’re proper, we’re all the time fallacious.” pic.twitter.com/hO2mzYgSRa
— Ben Parsons (@_benparsons) July 2, 2024
Garcia stated that each one the followers following him disrupted the tempo of play, not his routine and deliberations.
“The marshals had been attempting to do the most effective job they may do, however clearly, we needed to cease just about on each tee for 2 to a few minutes to hit our tee pictures as a result of folks had been strolling in entrance of the tee and on the green,” Garcia stated per Parsons.
“Until we wished to start out hitting folks, we couldn’t hit. I don’t suppose they took that into consideration, and that was unlucky. It made us rush. On a day like at the moment, when the circumstances are so difficult, and also you would possibly want just a little bit of additional time right here and there, it doesn’t assist out. Due to that, I made a few bogeys which may value me attending to Troon.”
He tied for fifth on the 2016 Open Championship, the final time Royal Troon hosted golf’s oldest main. That 12 months, Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson staged a duel for the ages, with the Swede warding off the American throughout an epic last spherical that noticed Stenson win by three at 20-under-par. Stenson’s rating of 264 stays the bottom mixture rating in Open historical past.
As for Garcia, the Spaniard may solely make it again to Royal Troon through qualifying due to his LIV Golf affiliation, which has consequently plummeted his Official World Golf Rating (OWGR) to 312th on this planet. The R&A invitations solely the highest 50 gamers to spherical out its 156-man discipline, that means Garcia didn’t obtain an computerized bid.
His exemption into this championship expired in 2022—5 years after he gained The Masters.
“You come out right here, you play as arduous as you possibly can and hope it’s ok,” Garcia added on the radio broadcast.
“If it’s not, then we’ll hold attempting. Then, , The Masters might be my one centesimal main subsequent April. That’s additionally a sensible choice.”
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By way of. You’ll want to try @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You may comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as nicely.
