Sergio Garcia has failed to qualify for the British Open for the second consecutive year.
Only two players from the LIV Golf series made it through to the prestigious event.
The 44-year-old Spanish golfer was among eight LIV Golf players who did not qualify, missing the cut by two shots after rounds of 71 and 70 at West Lancashire.
Garcia expressed disappointment over the conditions and the outcome.
“It was tough conditions and sometimes things don’t always go your way,” he said. “I tried everything I could and that’s all I can ask of myself.”
A significant point of contention during Garcia’s round was a slow play warning issued by the officials. Garcia voiced his frustration, attributing part of his struggle to the crowd management.
“When you have 2,000 people following us with no ropes, nothing. The marshals were trying to do the best job they could do, but obviously we had to stop pretty much on every tee for two-to-three minutes to hit our tee shots,” Garcia explained.
He noted that the interruptions caused them to rush, impacting his performance negatively.
Garcia ended the qualifying round with five bogeys, sealing his fate and missing out on The Open, where the winner’s prize is about $4.5 million.
His frustration was captured by golf reporter Ben Parsons, who highlighted the complications caused by the crowd.
In contrast, Justin Rose secured his spot at Royal Troon with impressive rounds of 66 and 68. Rose, who has been exempt from qualifying for nearly two decades, recognized the challenge and significance of making it to The Open, especially after dropping out of the top 50 in the world rankings this year.
“You kind of take it for granted. As you get a little older, things get a little harder. It makes you appreciate how special The Open is,” Rose reflected.
Sam Horsfield of LIV Golf was among the four who successfully qualified from West Lancashire, alongside Matthew Dodd-Berry, Daniel Brown, and Masahiro Kawamura.
