“You’re the man, Sergio!” Despite his recent The Open heartbreak, Garcia‘s most recent post has received a flood of comments along these lines. The star of the golf world failed to qualify for the 2024 Open Championship after he fell behind by two strokes at the West Lancashire qualifier. The LIV golfer will be missing the last major of the year for the second time in a row after competing in it 25 times. And as one could imagine, Garcia isn’t too happy about it!

The qualifiers are the only way for a LIV golfer (without an exemption) to compete at any major since OWGR doesn’t recognize LIV. While many may see this way of qualifying as a burden, it’s the opposite for the Spaniard. For him, the pressure adds to the fun! The 2017 Masters winner loves the unique perspective that comes with the qualifiers. “It’s tough, but I enjoy the challenge,” he even said after. His issue, however, was more with how things were handled during the qualifying event itself.

Over the years, fans have witnessed Garcia play in nearly 100 majors, and they’ve loved every bit of it. So much so that when he missed qualifying for the Royal Troon this week, they began fighting for him. Online posts erupted suggesting that the one-time major winner deserved an invite to play.

“This is nuts,” wrote LIV Myth Buster on X, questioning the R&A. “The @TheSergioGarcia is a huge draw and if you are going to make him qualify then be set up properly to deal with fans. Better idea just dump the OWGR and invite him like you should anyway. @RandA,” wrote the fan on X. Interestingly, the Spaniard pulled off quite a crowd at the qualifier, and R&A was not equipped to handle it well. Fans followed around Garcia which hindered his play by a few minutes. It took marshals around 3–4 minutes between shots to remove fans who had come to see him play resulting in him getting a slow play warning. Otherwise, always calm Garcia got riled up, and called out the officials by saying, “You’re right; we’re always wrong.”

The major winner reposted the tweet with a comment indicating that he liked this idea.  He addressed the decline in viewership that the PGA Tour has been undergoing this year, and even the majors, especially Masters. “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!” exclaimed the golfer. Garcia is known for drawing crowds and the qualifier was yet another proof of it. 

The golfer had the fans backing him up on this post. The comment section was full of positive comments, and here are a few of them. 

Sergio Garcia’s fans love him 

The best thing about being a sportsperson is the support and love of your fans, and Sergio Garcia couldn’t agree more! He might have failed to descend the greens of the Royal Troon, but he hasn’t failed to win everyone’s hearts! The fans are coming up with solutions for the golfer to get a spot in the 2024 Open.

“Sergio was, is, and always will be one of my favorites!!!!”, one fan enthusiastically commented under Garcia’s post on X. The golfer has been a fan favorite ever since he was an amateur. Garcia became the youngest player to win a European Amateur when he was only fifteen years old, so this kind of sums up the potential the Spanish gofer holds. He is also a Ryder Cyo maestro, having played for Europe it 10 times.

Another user commented, “I think Sergio should be let into The Open. He’s one of the world’s best golfers and a great human being.” There is absolutely no doubt that the Spaniard is a great man, whether it is for his family or the fans. He made it evident as he took his time and gave autographs to the fans at the qualifier. At this year’s US Open as well, where he got the chance to play in the in the last minute, he finished beautifully at T12, showcasing his potential.

One user went all in and held the R&A accountable for not letting Garcia play in the upcoming Open Championship, they commented, “The R&A could do far worse than giving Sergio an invite. He deserves it. Don’t worry about the LIV thing. He’s entertained so many fans at Open Championships so now it’s their turn to repay him”. Support for Garcia was a common feeling. Another European fan commented, “They should give you a spot.  You have earned it over the years, and the European fans love you.” Oh, and in case you might have forgotten, Garcia has played in The Open 25 times. Although he hasn’t won, he has come close, as he has finished at T2 a couple of times in 2007, and 2014.

Everyone is excited to see Garcia play in the future championship, and the LIV golfer has all the support he needs. Do you think the R&A will consider this and let Garcia play in the Open Championship? Do let us know in the comment section below!