Sergio Garcia gets into heated exchange with rules officials after slow-play warning at Open qualifier

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[PHOTO: Jan Kruger/R&A]

Sergio Garcia was put on the clock during Tuesday’s final qualifier for the 2024 Open Championship. And let’s just say, he was not happy about it.

The 2017 Masters champion took exception to a slow-play warning on the eighth hole of his morning round at West Lancashire Golf Club. Garcia claimed the reason his group was lagging behind was due to having to wait for crowds to clear out of the way before he hit his shots.

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At one point, the 44-year-old Spaniard got into a testy exchange with a pair of R&A rules officials as he walked up the fairway. “You’re always right, we’re always wrong,” he could be heard saying in a clip captured by Bunkered‘s Ben Parsons. Have a look and listen:

Parsons added that a “furious” Garcia was “still simmering” when he hit this driver off the deck on the 10th hole a bit later:

He also reported that Garcia’s group was one of 10 on the clock:

This is not the first time Garcia has gotten into it with a rules official. After receiving a (bad) ruling at the 2022 Wells Fargo Championship, he famously said, “I can’t wait to leave this tour,” and, “Just a couple more weeks until I don’t have to deal with [the rules official] anymore.” Garcia joined LIV Golf shortly afterwards.

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Garcia was playing in one of four final 36-hole qualifiers for the 2024 Open on Tuesday. He was in the mix to earn one of the four spots up for grabs at West Lancashire after shooting a one-under-par 71 in his first round. As you can see, the LIV star drew a sizeable crowd out there:

Alas, Garcia didn’t claim one of the four spots on offer at West Lancashire, where the qualifying score was five-under for 36 holes.

The 2024 Open Championship will be held at Royal Troon Golf Club July 18-21.