Why is Sergio Garcia missing the Open Championship 2023?
Sergio Garcia will miss The Open Championship for the first time since 1998 (the tournament was not held in 2020). The Spaniard would have computed in Hoylake his 25th consecutive appearance and 26th in total.
However, it may be difficult to understand that a player of Garcia's stature is left out of one of the four most important events in the world of golf. And yet it is hopelessly so.
Sergio Garcia is set to miss The Open for the first time in 26 years. 😞
#SergioGarcia #TheOpen #LIVGolf https://t.co/eipTXRogVT
At the 151st edition of the British Open, Garcia did not qualify in any of the 27 current exemption categories. For this reason, he was forced to seek a place in the West Lancashire qualifier, but he fell three strokes short of his goal.
Why didn't Sergio Garcia meet any exemption to the British Open? Let's see:
#1 Sergio Garcia hasn't previously won The Open Championship
All The Open Championship champions of the last 10 editions will be present at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club in two days' time.
Garcia has never won this tournament, although he has finished runner-up twice (2007 and 2014).
#2 Winners of the other three majors
The winners of the other three majors in the last five seasons are also qualified for The Open in 2023. Sergio Garcia's most recent victory in a major was in 2017 (The Masters), so he does not meet this criterion.
Also, the winners of the last three editions of THE PLAYERS Championship are exempt. Garcia won the tournament once, but it happened 15 years ago, in 2008.
#3 Top 10 of the previous edition
Those who finished in the top 10 (including ties) of the 2022 edition of The Open Championship are assured in the 2023 edition. Sergio Garcia finished T68 a year ago at St. Andrews.
#4 Rankings
Exemptions are granted to the occupants of high positions in various rankings, both OWGR (top 50), Final Race to Dubai (top 30), FedEx Cup (top 30), and DP World Tour (top five), among others.
By moving to play on the LIV Golf circuit in 2022, Garcia stopped accumulating points for any of these lists. He only added limited amounts to the OWGR for the majors in which he participated. He is currently ranked 239th.
#5 Tournaments winners and more
The winners of the most recent versions of various tournaments and honors around the world are also awarded places in The Open Championship.
Such is the case of the Open de Argentina 2022, the Final Order of Merit of the PGA Tour of Australasia, the Final Order of Merit of the Sunshine Tour, The Japan Open, and the Final Official Money List of the Japan Golf Tour.
The winners of The Senior Open Championship, The Amateur Championship, The European Amateur Championship, The Mark H McCormack Medal, The Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, The Latin America Amateur Championship, and The Open Amateur Series will also be present at the Open Championship 2023.
Garcia has not been present in these tournaments in the period required to achieve a place in The Open Championship.