Sergio Garcia devastatingly failed to earn a spot at the US Open through Final Qualifying.
The former Masters champion played in the pre-tournament qualifier at Dallas Athletic Club in Texas and rounds of 66 and 73 took him into a seven-man playoff with six spots up for grabs.
The Spaniard made a bogey in the playoff to drop out of contention which means he could miss this year’s edition of America’s national championship, a feeling he’s not had since 1999.
Garcia has been one of the outstanding European players of his generation. After many near misses in major championships, he finally won the Masters in 2017. A year later, Garcia became the highest points scorer in the history of the Ryder Cup when he beat Rickie Fowler in the singles session of the biennial event against the USA in France.
The 44-year-old joined LIV Golf in June 2022. The start-up Saudi-backed circuit has lured many of the game’s most recognisable faces including Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka, as well as European icons like Garcia, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter.
| LIV Golf players in the 2024 US Open field (as of May 21) |
| Jon Rahm |
| Brooks Koepka |
| Dustin Johnson |
| Cameron Smith |
| Bryson DeChambeau |
| Phil Mickelson |
| Martin Kaymer |
| Tyrrell Hatton |
| Adrian Meronk |
| Eugenio Chacarra |
Sergio Garcia: US Open Qualifying bid fails in unfortunate fashion
The LIV Golf League’s attempt to gain Official World Golf Ranking status was rejected back in October, meaning players such as Garcia continue to tumble down the rankings and at the same time, watch their reserve of major exemptions run dry.
Garcia did earn first alternate status for the third major of 2024 at Pinehurst, so all is not lost for him who finished tied for third in the 2005 US Open. His LIV teammate and Fireballs GC teammate Eugenio Chacarra passed the Dallas qualifying with flying colours and 10 other hopefuls too.
Another former Masters champion and LIV player Patrick Reed had been entered in Dallas but didn’t play. This ends the American’s long appearance streak in the majors which dates back to the 2014 Masters.
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Abraham Ancer, Caleb Surratt, Carlos Ortiz, Danny Lee and Brendan Steele were other players from the breakaway league’s roster not to qualify at the same event as Garcia. Sam Horsfield, who plays in the same LIV team as Westwood and Poulter, also tried and failed in the 36-hole event at Walton Heath.
Popular Englishman Robert Rock came tied for fourth in the preliminary event in Surrey to make his first major field since the 2019 Open. European Ryder Cup vice-captain Edoardo Molinari also made it through one shot behind Rock and his brother Francesco earned a spot where Garcia couldn’t in Dallas.
Check the US Open Final Qualifying website for every player who qualified for the 2024 US Open at Pinehurst on May 20, which will be held June 13 – 16. There will be 10 more Final Qualifying events between now and June 3.
NOW READ: Which LIV Golfers have qualified for majors in 2024?
NOW READ: How much money has Sergio Garcia earned in the LIV Golf League?
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