Sergio Garcia failed to qualify for the British Open.
LIV Golf star headlines Final Qualifier in West Lancashire Golf club LiverpoolGarcia, one of four players from across the UK to make the final cut, finished with a three-under 141 after 36 holes and missed the cut by two strokes.
“I did everything I could to get to the British Open. I wish it could have been my 100th major,” Garcia said. Radio broadcasting After the round ends.
“I love the British Open and I love playing major championships, but it’s tough when you come so close to winning it and then miss out, but unfortunately I’m not going to be able to play.”
Garcia also tried to qualify for the British Open at Royal Liverpool last year, via West Lancashire Golf Club, but he said the course conditions were tougher this year. Still, Garcia felt comfortable on the seaside course thanks to his experience a year ago. He knew the course lines and where his mis-shots were, but the conditions and other factors seemed to overwhelm him.
The Spaniard was halfway through the first 18 holes when an R&A official Garcia looks at her watch. In case of slow play, Ben Parsons of Bankard.
Sergio Garcia is furious after being warned for slow play during the final Open qualifying round, blaming fans for the delays, and here he vents his anger at two R&A officials.
“You’re right, we’re always wrong.” pic.twitter.com/hO2mzYgSRa
— Ben Parsons (@_benparsons) July 2, 2024
Garcia said it wasn’t his routine or reflection, but all the fans following him that disrupted the pace of play.
“The marshals were doing their best but obviously there were people walking in front of the tees and on the fairways so people had to stop for two to three minutes at almost every tee to hit their tee shots,” Garcia told Parsons.
“You can’t hit them if you don’t want to hit them. I don’t think they took that into account. It’s unfortunate. It made us feel rushed. On a day like today when the conditions are so difficult you might need a little extra time here and there but it doesn’t help. It might have led to a couple of bogeys and kept us from going to Troon.”
He finished tied for fifth at the 2016 British Open, the last time Royal Troon hosted golf’s oldest major tournament. That year, Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson battled it out for the ages, with the Swede beating the American in an epic final round that saw Stenson win by three strokes at 20 under par. Stenson’s total score of 264 remains the lowest score in British Open history.
Meanwhile, the Spaniard, who is signed by LIV Golf, had no choice but to return to Royal Troon through qualifying, which has seen his Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) drop to 312th in the world. Garcia was not automatically invited as the R&A only invites the top 50 players out of the 156 entrants.
His exemption into the championship expired in 2022, five years after his Masters win.
“I just want to come here, play my hardest and hope it’s good enough,” Garcia added on the radio broadcast.
“If not, we’ll keep trying. And, you know, the Masters will be my 100th major next April. That would be a good option too.”
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation Playing Through. Follow For more golf articles, follow us on Twitter Jack Mirko In the same way.
