{"id":1568708,"date":"2023-05-23T14:02:13","date_gmt":"2023-05-23T18:02:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/?p=1568708"},"modified":"2023-05-23T14:02:15","modified_gmt":"2023-05-23T18:02:15","slug":"sergio-garcia-failed-qualify-u-s-open-liv-golf-found-loophole","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/sergio-garcia-failed-qualify-u-s-open-liv-golf-found-loophole\/","title":{"rendered":"Sergio Garcia Failed to Qualify for the U.S. Open Because of LIV Golf, so He Found a Loophole"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

LIV Golf<\/a> has been a considerable factor in both major championships to start the 2023 PGA<\/a> Tour season. The rival tour represented three of the top six names on the final Masters leaderboard, and Brooks Koepka won the PGA Championship to infuriate the LIV critics rooting for his demise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few of the defectors who comfortably qualified for the first two majors of the year fared better than expected, but others haven't been so lucky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because the Official World Golf Ranking doesn't award points to LIV Golf, many players have fallen too far down the OWGR to automatically qualify for majors. Sergio Garcia<\/a>, who hadn't missed a major since the 1999 U.S. Open, couldn't play in the PGA Championship because of his status in the OWGR. He failed to automatically qualify for next month's U.S. Open, too, but the savvy veteran found a loophole that snuck him into the field just in time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sergio Garcia is feeling the negative consequences of joining LIV Golf<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Sergio
Sergio Garcia hits a tee shot during Day Two of the LIV Golf Invitational - Tulsa at Cedar Ridge Country Club | Ian Maule\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It's no secret why some of the most established stars in golf left the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf<\/a>. The schedule is lighter, there are no cuts, and the paychecks are astronomically larger than the ones available on the PGA Tour. But many of the defectors didn't factor in the negative consequences associated with joining an upstart league.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The OWGR still refuses to award points for LIV Golf events, so these players have been steadily dropping down the rankings week after week. This is important because the OWGR can determine which players qualify for majors. If you slip too far down the list, you have to play your way to qualification another way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Garcia's case, the Spaniard has dropped outside the top 200 in the OWGR, meaning he isn't nearly high enough to automatically qualify for majors. Garcia didn't crack the list for the PGA Championship and missed his first major in 24 years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2017 Masters champ also failed to qualify for the U.S. Open next month, so he took matters into his own hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sergio Garcia uses a loophole to qualify for the 2023 U.S. Open<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n

Birdie on 18 for major champion Sergio Garcia. \ud83d\udd25

He advances through Final Qualifying and will make his 24th #USOpen<\/a> appearance next month.

\ud83d\udcf9: @TexasGolfAssoc<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/FAk3S7g9h1<\/a><\/p>— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) May 23, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote>