Sergio Garcia makes plea to Open bosses after call for majors to ‘dump’ world rankings

Sergio Garcia has appealed to the R&A to extend him a special invitation to compete in the upcoming Open Championship at Royal Troon after failing to qualify through the usual channels. Garcia, a notable figure among the LIV Golf players, has seen his Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) decline, which has compromised his ability to participate in major tournaments. Despite his efforts in the Final Qualifying at West Lancashire last Tuesday, Garcia was unable to secure a spot in the final major event of the year.

Garcia had hoped to mark his 100th major start at Royal Troon. Following his unsuccessful qualifying attempt, a fan on social media suggested that the Open organizers should disregard the OWGR list and offer Garcia a special invitation. Garcia responded positively to this suggestion on X, stating, “I like this idea. Viewership down each year – all I want is the opportunity to play. 99 majors down, 2 as an amateur. I’m in it for the long haul!”

Garcia’s failure to qualify means he will miss the Open Championship for the second consecutive year, ending his streak of 24 consecutive appearances. Last year, he also fell short in the 36-hole qualifier, which halted his impressive run at the season’s final major. This year, he missed qualifying by just two shots.

Reflecting on his experience, Garcia emphasized the significance of playing in majors and how challenging it is to qualify. “You kind of lose a little perspective of how difficult it is to get into the majors and how much they mean. That’s the beautiful thing about it. It’s the flame that I have in my game. That’s why I come here and try to qualify.”

Garcia expressed his passion for the Open Championship and his dedication to competing in majors. “I’m out there and I’m trying as hard as I can to get into The Open because I love The Open and I love playing majors. It’s tough when you’re that close and you finish right on the edge, but unfortunately, I won’t be able to make it.”

Despite attracting a massive crowd at the qualifier event for the second year in a row, Garcia was disappointed with the crowd control. “We have that many people following us, no ropes or nothing. The marshals were doing their best, but we had to stop on every tee for two or three minutes because people were walking on the course. Unless they wanted us to start hitting people, how could we hit? We had to wait.”

Garcia criticized the lack of consideration for the crowd’s impact on the game, noting that the delays forced him to rush his shots. “On a day such as this, when the conditions are so tricky, you need a little bit of extra time. I made a couple of bogeys after that and who knows? It might have stopped me getting to Troon.”

As Garcia awaits a response from the R&A, his plea highlights the ongoing debate about the criteria for qualifying for major tournaments and the impact of the OWGR on established players.