In just a few days, LIV’s eighth event of the season is set to kick off at the renowned Real Club Valderrama. Out of all the big names that will be competing at the “Augusta of Europe,” Sergio Garcia is definitely the one that fans will be most looking forward to.

Garcia is not only one of the most successful golfers to have come out of Spain, but also boasts three professional wins at Valderrama. However, the 43-year-old has now taken up a much bigger challenge, casting a shadow over his much-awaited return!

Sergio Garcia takes up a big challenge ahead of upcoming major

A month after its event in DC, LIV Golf is now set to hold a tournament in continental Europe for the very first time and Spanish superstar Sergio Garcia will be at the center of it all. In 15 professional starts at Valderrama, the LIV golfer has 14 top-10 finishes. The venue also saw him win the Andalucia Masters three times in 2011, 2016, and 2017. His accomplishments at the famed club also include three second-place results.

While Garcia’s fans will want nothing more than a fairytale return for the golfer in the $25,000,000 event, the Spanish pro is currently eyeing a place at the field for next month’s Open Championship. The impending major which will be held at Hoylake’s Royal Liverpool Club has 16 berths on offer.

Per Telegraph, Garcia, along with 287 other players, will be competing for one of those spots this coming Tuesday. The final qualifying will take place at the Dundonald Links, Royal Cinque Ports, Royal Porthcawl and West Lancashire.

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Last month, the golfer earned a spot for the US Open through the major’s final qualifying in Dallas. He eventually finished at T27 in the recently-concluded tournament.

Why has Sergio Garcia entered Open qualifying

Sergio Garcia has been a regular presence at the Open since he first appeared in 1996 as a 16-year-old. His 2017 Masters had win further rewarded him with a 5-year exemption into the major. However, it ran out last year. Garcia’s defection to LIV Golf last year has also led to him dropping down to 209th place in the Official World Golf Rankings.

Until this year, he has never had to undergo the arduous qualifying process for the event. Regardless, the golfer will definitely be hoping to make his way into field next week. After all, he has often vocalized his desire to claim the highly coveted Claret Jug.

Garcia has finished in second place at the Open on two different occasions, in 2007 and 2014. Nine years ago, when the course in Hoylake had last played host, the golfer had finished two strokes behind winner Rory McIlroy. The 2023 Open Championship is the final major of the year and will be held from 16th – 23rd July.

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