Sergio Garcia, competing at the West Lancashire Open Qualifying, expressed his dissatisfaction with the event’s crowd management. The Spaniard, aiming to secure a spot at the Open Championship at Royal Troon, was visibly displeased with the organization during his round.
Having lost his Open exemption and seen his Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) decline due to his association with LIV Golf, Garcia is participating in the 36-hole qualifier. He began his first round at 7:50 a.m. BST, playing alongside DP World Tour players Sam Bairstow and Alex Maguire.
A considerable crowd followed Garcia, the most prominent player in the field. This large turnout, however, led to issues on the eighth tee, where Garcia voiced his concerns to tournament officials about crowd control. Marshals were directing the spectators down the left side of the hole, causing delays and leading to Garcia hitting his shot into trouble. His frustration was evident as he made his way down the fairway, commenting on the need for better organization.
Despite these distractions, Garcia completed the first nine holes at one-over-par, three strokes behind the early leader and his playing partner, Maguire.
Garcia’s experience at West Lancashire is not unique; he also competed in the same qualifier last year but failed to secure a spot at Royal Liverpool after 36 holes.
