Sergio Garcia qualifies for U.S. Open the old-fashioned way

DALLAS – The 2023 PGA Championship represented the first main for which Sergio Garcia had did not qualify in 24 years.

On Monday, Garcia prevented including the U.S. Open to that quick record.

With a dramatic back-nine rally at the 36-hole qualifier right here, Garcia — a former Masters winner who signed with LIV Golf final yr — completed at nine-under-par 132 to tie for fourth and punch his ticket to the U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club subsequent month. He shot 66 in the morning spherical at Bent Tree Country Club adopted by one other 66 at Northwood Club in the afternoon to take considered one of the eight spots accessible to the 120-player discipline.

After his first spherical, Garcia was two pictures off the projected qualifying line. His future was nonetheless unsure when he arrived at the par 5-14th — and eagled it.

“It was such a key moment to me,” Garcia stated of his 3 at Northwood’s 14th, a demanding gap that’s flanked by bushes and a creek. “I hit my drive nicely in the middle then I hit a 3-iron so good, to 6 feet from the pin, and made the putt. That made the difference, but I knew I need one more [birdie] to escape a playoff.”

After pars at 16 and 17, Garcia once more put his drive in the center of the fairway on 18, then knocked a wedge shot to three toes and holed the putt for a closing birdie to maneuver him to 9 below, one away from what turned out to be a 5-for-1 playoff. When the putt dropped, Garcia pumped his fist in entrance of a big group of spectators that had assembled by the inexperienced.

“I played well, and I knew what I needed,” he stated. “I didn’t want to be in a playoff. I’ve done that before. It’s pretty scary.”

The information was not so constructive for Garcia’s fellow LIV commit and former U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell. On Northwood’s par-3 ninth gap — his final of the day — McDowell three-putted to overlook the playoff by a shot.

“I love this game and I love major championships, and without world ranking points, I’m going to keep trying to get in any way I can,” McDowell stated, including that he already has registered for Open Championship qualifying.

The U.S. Open qualifier got here only a day after the conclusion of the PGA Championship, which till this yr Garcia had performed yearly since his breakout runner-up end at the 1999 version at Medinah. Garcia stated it was powerful to tune into the PGA over the weekend.

“I watched some at home on Sunday, but at the end of the day I didn’t get in,” he stated. “I would have loved to get a spot from the PGA, but they didn’t have me on their radar.”

Sporting his LIV staff uniform and bag at the Dallas qualifier, Garcia stated he was thrilled to observe one other LIV professional, Brooks Koepka, win at Oak Hill.

“Of course I was happy when Jon Rahm won the Masters,” Garcia stated of his countryman. “But I’ve gotten to know Brooks over the last two years on LIV and know all he went through, so I’m super-happy for him. It shows we still are really good at playing golf and we really care about the game regardless of what some people say about us.”

Asked if qualifying for the U.S. Open paired with Koepka’s PGA victory was vindication for LIV, Garcia turned his head and smiled.

“Vindication,” Garcia stated. “I don’t know what that is. I’m Spanish, not English.”