PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland— Temper again got the best of Sergio Garcia.
On Royal Portrush’s par-5 second, the Spaniard sent his tee shot soaring to the left. The swing was barely completed when the former Masters champ recoiled, slamming his club into the turf. However, as soon as the driver made impact with the ground, the shaft broke in two.
https://twitter.com/jamesnt/status/1946874937177706625/video/1
Despite missing the fairway, Garcia was able to birdie the hole.
Garcia is making his first Open appearance since 2022. However, Garcia has struggled in the majors since his Masters breakthrough in 2017, failing to record a single top 10 finish in golf’s big four. Garcia remains in the mix for a Ryder Cup wild card spot, although a so-so finish at Portrush will not help his chances.
“I had a good conversation with [Euro captain Luke Donald] last week, and we both know what we want,” Garcia said earlier this week. “The only thing I can do is keep working hard, keep building my confidence up, and if I’m able to do that, then it should be fine. We’ll see.”
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
