Sergio Garcia, the Spanish golfer who finished runner-up at The Open in 2007 and 2014, will be absent from next month’s tournament at Royal Birkdale. This marks his third missed appearance in four years. The 46-year-old faltered at West Lancashire, one of the four qualifying sites, despite a promising start. After opening with a stellar 60, he struggled in his second round with a 75, falling well short of the five available spots.
Other notable names, including 2016 Masters winner Danny Willett and Matt Wallace, also failed to advance at West Lancashire. Sam Bairstow secured the top spot at that location with a 10-under-par performance. Meanwhile, Kazuma Kobori, Jose Luis Ballester, Tiger Christensen, and Matthew Jordan successfully earned their places. Additional qualifying spots were claimed across three other venues, including Dundonald Links, Burnham and Berrow, and Royal Cinque Ports, by players such as Jack McDonald, James Nicholas, and Matthew Southgate.
