Sergio Garcia sets sights on overcoming past demons in last-ditch Open attempt

Sergio Garcia will be hoping to better his performance at last year’s Open qualifying, with the Spaniard returning to West Lancashire Golf Club to battle it out for a spot at Royal Troon over 36 holes.

Garcia has been a mainstay on the major championship stage throughout his career, with his crowning moment becoming Masters champion at Augusta National in 2017. On the back of his move to LIV Golf though, Garcia’s major status has dwindled having fallen down the Official World Golf Ranking.

This has led to the Spaniard turning to qualifying to earn a spot in the final flagship event on the year on British soil, having first attempted to book his Open place over 36 holes last year.

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Garcia competed at West Lancashire last summer with the hopes of heading to Royal Liverpool. After impressing in round one, the Fireballs captain went on to fall short by three shots following his second 18 holes. This saw Garcia’s remarkable run at The Open come to an end, having competed in the previous 24 editions.

“I haven’t really missed many majors since turning pro in 1999, just one because of COVID and the PGA a couple of months ago and unfortunately I’m going to miss this one,” Garcia said on the back of his qualifying disappointment last July. “It’s a shame but it’s the game.

“I felt I had it close, in the grasp of my hand, but that’s what it is. If you don’t even come here you can’t get disappointed because you are not even trying. I was trying and unfortunately it just wasn’t good enough… If you come here, you put yourself in that situation.

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“You can play well and make it, but you can play not as well and miss it. If you’re willing to put yourself in that spot it’s a little bit of a disappointment for sure. I was trying, but unfortunately, it wasn’t good enough.” One year on, the green jacket winner is ready to go again.

Garcia will once again tee it up at West Lancashire, and is one of seven LIV Golf members in the field on the Wirral. The Spaniard will be in action next Tuesday (July 2), and will play alongside DP World Tour member Sam Bairstow across the two rounds, with his first 18 holes getting underway at 7:50 a.m. BST.

Fellow LIV star and 2015 Open runner-up Marc Leishman will also compete at West Lancashire, as will Carlos Ortiz, Jason Kokrak, Sebastian Munoz, Kieran Vincent and Sam Horsfield. Elsewhere Graeme McDowell, Branden Grace and Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra will head to Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club. Abraham Ancer, Anirban Lahiri and Laurie Canter will compete at Burnham & Berrow Golf Club, whilst Peter Uihlein and Danny Lee will play their 36 holes at Dundonald Links.