“He knew the consequences” - Tiger Woods’ ex-coach reacts to Sergio Garcia’s 2024 Open qualification heartbreak
Tiger Woods' former coach Hank Haney has reacted to the news that Sergio Garcia won't be in the Open Championship field. The Spaniard fell short by a couple of strokes at Open Qualifying, thus missing his chance to play at Royal Troon this month. Garcia expressed some frustration over it, but Hank Haney believes there's no blame to be passed around.
Haney responded to a user asking about Garcia's absence on X:
"As they like to say, he knew the consequences. So it makes perfect sense to some people to have a weaker field."
The original user posted that Garcia would be a top-10 or 20 contender at the Open Championship if he were in the field. Ultimately, as Haney stated, there are consequences to every choice. The consequence of Garcia's choice to join LIV meant that Major qualifying would be a little more difficult.
LIV events do not get OWGR points. That is the primary way players get into all Majors. Each one has a set number, and those ranked within that number automatically qualify. The majority of LIV players, with the exception of Bryson DeChambeau and a few others right now, are not in those qualifying ranges.
There are still opportunities, and Garcia pursued one of them. He and his tourmates can play qualifying events to try and win a place in the field. That's what Sergio Garcia did, but he fell short.
The door isn't totally closed, though. Every Major has sponsor exemptions available, so the Open could still invite Garcia. Tournaments often invite those who've put in the effort, which is how Joaquin Niemann earned a spot in the 2024 Masters Tournament field.
Sergio Garcia opens up on Open Championship miss
Sergio Garcia has previously stated that crowds getting too close to him and a slow play warning at Open Qualifying impacted his play and ultimately did not help. He bogeyed a few holes he probably shouldn't have, which made the difference.
He admitted some disappointment but kept his head held high (via ESPN):
"I come here and I try my hardest to get into The Open. It would be nice to make The Open my 100th Major, but it was tough conditions and sometimes things don't go your way. ... I tried everything that I could and that's all I can ask myself for."
He credited the marshals for doing the best they could but was frustrated with the fans interrupting play and forcing Garcia and his fellow golfers to have to wait for them to clear out first. Ultimately, the end result is that Sergio Garcia is not presently in the field for the upcoming Open Championship.