Devastated is how you will find the golf community at the moment. Golf’s politics and rules have done it yet again. Sergio Garcia‘s identity and fate now remain decided as a LIV golfer; his skills and reputation are no longer recognized by the majors As you have heard already, the 2017 Master’s Champion is not in the field of the Open Championship this season. But instead of taking out his frustration, this is how the acclaimed golfer reacted.

Garcia shared his heartfelt message both on Instagram and on his X handle. He wrote, “I’ve been fortunate enough to play in many majors—96,  to be exact—out of the last 100. This week was another test, and while I did not quite make the qualifier as I had hoped, it was still a great experience as always. The most incredible takeaway from this year’s qualifier and last year’s comes down to the fans. I am grateful for each person who came out and showed support, followed my group, and waited around until I finished the last of the 36 holes. I see you, and I thank you.”

The golfer missed his cut at the final qualifiers held at West Lancashire Golf Club this Tuesday for the Open Championship. He scored 71-70 for 36- holes and missed his spot by two strokes. However, Garcia had been one of the golf stars who attracted pools of people near his teeing-off spots, which naturally created a delay in his play. This was soon followed by Garcia getting called out and warned for his slow play. Unable to keep his cool, the golf legend was seen throwing a fit at two R&A officials. He shouted at them, saying, “You’re right; we’re always wrong.”

Golf.com also noted, “Garcia was upset because it was taking marshals “3-4 minutes” to move people out of Garcia’s way for each shot, and thus he was unable to maintain a normal pace.” They further remarked, “Garcia even needed to navigate through spectators in the middle of the fairway to get to the 18th green during his first round.”

The LIV Golfer, also penned another heartfelt message while teeing up at the qualifiers, and regarded that things are indeed “tough.”  His latest post thanking fans for showing him support at the qualifiers proved his gentle nature and genuine gratitude towards the fans. But how do you think the fans reacted to him?

The Golf community stands beside Sergio Garcia

One of the fans commented, “It’s amazing to see such a great player try to qualify through these channels. I don’t agree with the fact that LIV players don’t gain ranking points, which would allow them to bypass these events, but it is still great to see the desire.” The fan first applauded Garcia for being a true sportsman who played the qualifiers even after being a golfer of his rank. Following this, the fan also pointed out how the whole golf system has been ignoring LIV golf players’ points as well as depriving them of ranks in the OWGR, which is unfair. After 18 long months of back-and-forth discussions between Greg Norman and the OWGR officials, Norman announced this March that the latter is unwilling to work with them. Norman even remarked, “A resolution that protects the accuracy, credibility, and integrity of the OWGR rankings no longer exists.” With that, many LIV golfers of high caliber had to say goodbye to their usual rights to exemptions.

Another fan tried to cheer up Garcia. They commented, “Plenty of turns left, Sergio! Phil won the PGA at 51, remember? Tom Watson nearly won the Open at 60! Sam Snead nearly won the PGA at 61 and 62!!!” Certainly, Garcia is only 44 years old, and many golfers like Phil Mickelson shocked the world when he won the 2021 PGA Championship against Brooks Koepka and Louis Oosthuizen by two strokes. Tom Watson, the 8-time major winner, was 60 when he tied for the first position but lost against Stewart Cink in a four-hole aggregate playoff. Sam Snead, on the other hand, was T4 and T3 in 1972 and 1974, respectively, at the ages of 60 and 62. At 61, he was still in the top 10 of the PGA Championship, finishing T9. Hence, it’s needless to say that Garcia would have plenty of options ahead, even if LIV golfers are not recognized by the system. As long as he can play to earn a spot, Sergio Garcia will get his chance.

“I find it remarkable, and it shows a lot of sportsmanship from a well-established player like you to try to qualify for a major when there is still no solution for players in the @livgolf_league. Kudos, and better luck next time. I hope the organizations get their sh*t together soon,” said another fan. While recognizing Garcia’s personality and true passion for golf that goes beyond his ego of being one of the established and recognized players, the fan is heavily discrediting the present unfair system. They suggested that all of these organizations that are standing against LIV Golf need to sort out their issues and find a solution that is lacking at the moment.

Yet another netizen stated, “A champion to that level has nothing to prove.”  The Spaniard has won 11 times on the PGA Tour and 16 times on the European Tour. Garcia is still remembered for his duel against Tiger Woods back in the 1999 PGA Championship, where he was defeated by a stroke. Even in this season’s US Open, Garcia finished T12 against all odds, proving his skills have not died yet. Although he has never won the Open Championship before, Garcia tied for first and lost in a playoff in 2007, and he again finished as T2 in 2014. With such a remarkable career, fans believe the qualifying matches are unnecessary to prove his skills for a spot at the Open Championship.

One other fan commented about how kind and amiable Garcia is. They said, “It was absolutely brilliant with the fans all day. I must have given the kids about 10 balls over the two rounds. Waited around and took pictures. Top man.” Despite getting warned about his slow play because the fans were crowding him, Garcia did not get angry at them. Instead, he was reported to be rather hospitable towards them. Moreover, when he lost his temper, he put himself and the fans on the same side and said with frustration that they were in the wrong and not the officials.

What are your thoughts on Garcia missing the chance to be in the field at Royal Troon? Let us know in the comments below.