Sergio Garcia Eyes Open Championship After Close Call in Macau

MACAU, China — Sergio Garcia is determined to qualify for The Open Championship after narrowly missing out on a spot at the Asian Tour’s International Series Macau.

The 45-year-old Spaniard failed to make a putt on the 72nd hole, resulting in a tie for fourth place and losing one of the three tickets to the prestigious event at Royal Portrush in July.

Garcia, the 2017 Masters champion, expressed his enthusiasm about The Open, stating, “When it comes to The Open, this is something that I would love to be a part of again. It’s my favorite major. I was very close in Macau, but unfortunately, I fell short. I’ll just keep trying. I’m going to use every option that I have,” according to Fox Sports’ Henry McKenna.

Despite the setback, Garcia still has several options to qualify for the Championship. The most promising path is winning a special ticket offered to one of the top three members of LIV Golf’s internal rankings. This exemption will be awarded at the conclusion of the Dallas event in June.

Garcia is currently ranked fourth in the LIV Golf standings, just one position behind a qualifying spot, as Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, and Joaquin Niemann, who are above him, have already secured their places.

If Garcia cannot maintain his position, he will need to explore alternative routes, such as seeking tickets to the DP World Tour‘s Italian Open, although that event overlaps with the Dallas competition.

The seasoned golfer’s last resort would be participating in the regional and final qualifiers on June 23 and July 1. Garcia previously attempted this in 2024 at West Lancashire Golf Club but was unsuccessful.

Garcia has already played in two majors this season, finishing with disappointing results. He missed the cut at the Masters and posted a lackluster performance at the PGA Championship.

Looking ahead, Garcia hopes to prove his value for selection on the European Ryder Cup team in September at Bethpage Black, New York. He stated, “Probably the most important thing is to keep playing like I’ve been playing. And then it’ll come down to [Luke Donald] and his team deciding if I can bring something extra that will help,” conveying his aspirations to perform well ahead of potential selection.

As of now, Garcia has yet to earn any ranking points in the Ryder Cup qualifying system but has one victory this season at the Hong Kong event.