SERGIO, REBEL WITH A CAUSE
Garcia hits back after qualifying for US Open: I play on a different tour, but that doesn’t change my desire. I love Majors
SERGIO GARCIA plays his 24th successive US Open this week – having kicked down the back door into the tournament to keep his incredible run going.
As a result of his defection to LIV Golf followed by the inevitable slide in his world ranking, the 2017 Masters champion was staring at an end to a sequence which began at Pebble Beach with a ringside seat at Tiger Woods’ 15-stroke victory masterclass.
But the world No.228 (right) pulled a rabbit out of the hat at qualifying in Texas a fortnight ago to earn his place the hard way.
The 43-year-old admitted: “It’s always a little nerveracking knowing that you can’t really make many mistakes if you really want to
go through. But I was happy to play well and make it through.
“We do love playing Majors.
“We all try to do everything we can to play as many as we can and win as many as we can.
“We love trying to win those beautiful tournaments.
“I had planned from the beginning of the year to play in the US Open qualifier.
“Some of the media think that we don’t want to play golf anymore.
“We love playing golf. We might be doing it on a different tour, but that doesn’t change the desire and the will to play as well as we can.
“I’m working hard. I feel like it’s getting better and better. Still, I don’t feel like I’m definitely firing on all cylinders, but I really feel like I’m able to put in some good rounds.”
Garcia also plans to play in an Open Championship qualifier at West Lancashire.
He is one of 15 LIV players in action at the Los Angeles Country Club as golf ’s newly reunited world comes together for the first time this week since the peace deal between its war- ring factions.
Hatchets are supposed to be buried but if the Major Championship coexistence between the establishment and the rebels was uneasy before the PGA Tour and LIV Golf made up, it would be naive to expect it to be all sweetness and light a week on from the stunning rapprochement.
The bitterness felt by those who turned down the LIV money only to see those who took the mega-dollars welcomed back with open arms will be lurking.
Rory Mcilroy voiced the opinion of many when he said that the rebels cannot just be allowed to walk back on to the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour next season.
Yet that is exactly what the deal anticipates. LA then will be an interesting test run for what lies ahead.
Garcia, who applauded the end to hostilities, said: “At the end of the day I think we all make the decisions that we think is best for us. I made what I thought were the best decisions for me and my family and my game.
“I’m not going to hold anyone else responsible.”
England’s Matt Fitzpatrick starts his defence of the title on the West Coast on Thursday.
Some think we don’t want to play anymore, we love playing golf