2017 Masters winner, Sergio Garcia, was in contention to play at the prominent BMW PGA Championship earlier this year. However, he withdrew without a moment’s notice while not providing any explanation. But according to the latest news from The Times, Garcia felt disrespected by the way of his treatment at Wentworth, which ultimately culminated in a retreat.

Sergio Garcia explains his withdrawal from Wentworth

The seasoned Spaniard was one of the few names from the LIV Golf Series on the tournament’s roster. A total of 18 names on the 144-member list belonged to the Saudi-backed league. While explaining his reasons, Garcia mentioned the lack of respect he received after being on the European Tour for a number of years.

Read more: Tiger Woods’ Greatest Public Enemy is Not Phil Mickelson. It’s THIS Golfer

“It’s quite simple. I didn’t enjoy the way we were getting treated, not only myself, and for me mentally it was tough to be there and focus after giving more than half my life to the Tour,” he said. Garcia made his debut on the European Tour at the 1995 Turespana Open Mediterrania at the youthful age of 16. He was the youngest to make the cut at a European Tour event, a record that was broken by Jason Hak in 2008.

Since then, Garcia has played predominantly on the now-called DP Tour. However, a switch to the LIV Golf Series has soured his relationship with home tour executives. Garcia revealed that he had plans to play at Wentworth until a day before the tournament began, after which he didn’t feel right about participating.

“I was playing great and excited to get there and get some Ryder Cup points and everything, but already on Thursday morning, I wasn’t right. I felt like there was really not much for me to do there,” Garcia revealed, before adding, “I couldn’t concentrate”.

What exactly caused Garcia’s withdrawal?

What exactly transpired in the morning before the tournament commenced? While the 42-year-old didn’t divulge anything further, it is apparent what could have swung the mood change.

The day before the BMW PGA Championship got underway, DP World Tour chief executive, Keith Pelley and out-spoken LIV critic, Billy Horschel, made commanding statements in their respective press conferences. The latter simply tore into LIV players participating in Wentworth, accusing them of hypocrisy by playing on the DP Tour event.

Garcia eventually left the playing field without providing any medical reason. He was later seen enjoying his newly found time at a college football game in America. According to reports, he was fined for the sudden leave, although the amount was kept under wraps.