Golf
Sergio Garcia doesn’t sound as excited as fans expected and shares LIV concern
![Sergio Garcia doesn’t sound as excited as fans expected and shares LIV concern Sergio Garcia doesn’t sound as excited as fans expected and shares LIV concern](https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/article33259521.ece/ALTERNATES/s1200/0_screenshot-2024-07-16-at-123041-pm.png)
Sergio Garcia secured his first victory in over four years with a playoff win at the LIV Golf Andalucia tournament but has discussed his difficulties competing at majors
Since moving to the controversial LIV Golf circuit, Sergio Garcia has openly confessed to previously taking major tournament access for granted during his PGA Tour days. The former PGA Tour pro is feeling the competitive heat in the Saudi-funded series and is angling for a spot in majors with renewed vigour – thinking about that situation even after a LIV Golf triumph.
Garcia ended a winless streak of 30 tournaments at the LIV Golf Andalucia event recently, securing a dramatic playoff victory against Crushers GC’s Anirban Lahiri after both finished on a 5-under par. The Spaniard wrapped up his round with a commendable 5-under 66, setting the stage for a tense showdown.
The drama reached its peak when Lahiri faltered with a vital short putt on the final hole, handing Garcia his inaugural LIV Golf win for Fireballs GC and his first professional triumph since 2020. Its a well-needed boost for the golfer who currently sits at 323rd position in the world rankings.
Despite Garcia’s triumph, his standing remains unaffected globally as the OWGR kept LIV Golf out of points’ consideration after rejecting their application in October 2023. LIV Golf players like Garcia are left to deal with the complexities of gaining prestige and improving their world ranking status.
Garcia expressed mixed feelings post-victory, reflecting on the impact of winning without the benefit of ranking points for entry into elite events. “Even though you realize that the majors are super important and it’s what we love to play, when you get the chance to play in so many in a row, you start forgetting how difficult it is to make it into those majors,” he disclosed.
“This last year and a half or so, I’ve realized how difficult it is playing qualifiers and stuff like that. One day, you hit two bad shots, and you’re out. It’s given me definitely a different perspective on the majors, on how much they mean, on how much harder I’m trying when I’m playing them.”
Garcia continued to explain his newfound appreciation and value of playing in Major tournaments, particularly now with LIV. “I know even more how hard it is and how important the majors are, and I still want to play as many as I can,” he admitted.
“Hopefully things get better, and we start getting spots coming into some of the majors, but if not, I’ll just keep playing qualifiers until my body says enough is enough, I guess.”
Garcia climbed the ranks and earned OWGR points in three key participating events in 2024. His standout performance came with a 12th-place finish at the 2024 U.S. Open, catapulting his OWGR rank from 773rd to 310th.
Starting the season at 662nd, the Spanish golfer gained momentum by tying for 21st at the International Series Macau presented by Wynn, playing on a different tour to rack up those crucial points. The 2017 Masters champion enjoys a lifetime invitation to the iconic tournament, but he wrapped up his last rendition with a total score of 151 (+7), falling short of advancing to the weekend rounds.