Sergio Garcia is headed back to The Open Championship for the first time since 2022, earning a coveted exemption via his LIV Golf points standing following the LIV Golf Dallas event on Sunday.
The 45-year-old Spaniard, fifth in the LIV individual rankings, clinched the single Open berth reserved for the highest-ranked non-exempt player, securing his place at Royal Portrush next month.
Garcia, who skipped the 36-hole Open Final Qualifying, banked on his consistent LIV performances, including a recent win in Hong Kong. Despite a T25 finish at 3-over in Dallas, his season-long points tally held off challengers like David Puig, Lucas Herbert and Carlos Ortiz.
“It’s my second time at Portrush, and it’s obviously nice,” Garcia said, expressing cautious excitement after confirming his qualification.
The 2017 Masters champion, who has competed in 99 majors, will make his 26th Open appearance, chasing the Claret Jug he nearly won in 2007 and 2014. Garcia joins 16 other LIV golfers at Royal Portrush, including Patrick Reed, who qualified via the Asian Tour’s Macau event.
