Read more: Mickelson names three key changes brought about by LIV Golf that PGA Tour rivals want to copy

West Lancashire, UK - LIV Golf star Sergio Garcia had a frustrating start to his Open Championship qualifying campaign today after losing his cool with officials over poor crowd management.

The 44-year-old Spaniard is competing at West Lancashire Golf Club in a bid to secure one of the four spots available at this month's Open Championship at Royal Troon. Garcia has lost his automatic exemption for the event due to slipping down the world rankings following his move to the controversial LIV Golf series.

A large crowd turned out to support the former Masters champion at West Lancashire. However, the strong support appeared to backfire on Garcia.

During his round, Garcia was seen complaining angrily to officials on the 8th tee about the way the large crowd following his group was being controlled. Video footage showed marshals struggling to keep spectators away from the tee area as Garcia and his playing partners stood waiting to hit.

Sergio Garcia furious at his slow play warning at Final Open Qualifying - saying fans are causing the delays. Here he is taking his anger out at two R&A officials.

“You’re right, we’re always wrong.” pic.twitter.com/hO2mzYgSRa

— Ben Parsons (@_benparsons) July 2, 2024

Garcia then pulled his tee shot left into trouble, and his frustrations boiled over. As he walked down the fairway, he was heard telling officials "It needs to be organised better."

The issues continued on the next hole before Garcia made the turn in 1-over par, three shots off the early lead held by his playing partner Alex Maguire.

It's not the first time Garcia has played West Lancashire - he failed to qualify via the event last year. But his previous displays have seen him praised for the support of local fans.

He'll be hoping for a strong back nine to recover his round and avoid having to rely on another 36 holes of qualifying. But today's temper flare-up shows the pressure is well and truly on as he bids to return to golf's oldest championship.

" I’m sure that a lot of the people who were following me today would’ve loved to have seen me at Hoylake, but hopefully, I’ll be back soon," he said at that time.

“I’ve always felt very blessed about the love I get, but here in the UK even more. To see the kind of crowds we had for a British Open qualifier, it was pretty impressive. I hope they enjoyed it, but I would just have loved to give them a couple more things to cheer for."

Sergio Garcia narrowly misses out at West Lancashire for a second year in a row. A closing par leaves him at three-under, with five players ahead of him.

Listen to exclusive interviews on FQ Radio.https://t.co/EQLZQKEVoM pic.twitter.com/tTba76evoe

— The Open (@TheOpen) July 2, 2024

How does Garcia's current form compare to his past performances in the Open Championship

It's been tough going lately for Sergio Garcia when it comes to qualifying for the Open Championship. The 44-year-old Spaniard has so many fantastic memories at golf's oldest major over the years, with 12 top-20 finishes including 10 in the top ten from 1998 to 2014. He came agonizingly close to victory at Carnoustie in 2007 and tied for second at Royal Liverpool, but it seems those high-level performances are becoming more distant.

In his last few attempts, Sergio has really struggled to find his top form. At St Andrews last year he only managed a mediocre T-68, and things have gotten even harder recently. For the second year running, he failed to secure one of the coveted qualifying spots through local qualifying. This time around it was at West Lancashire Golf Club, where finishing just two shots too many saw his dreams dashed yet again.

The frustration was evident for Sergio during the qualifying round too. When his group got called for slow play, he vocally aired his grievances with the officials. Under that added pressure on the clock, it can't have been easy knowing one bad hole could end his chances.

It's a far cry from a guy who used to routinely contend at the Open. But with world ranking points harder to come by since joining LIV Golf, Sergio finds himself in the unwanted position of having to hustle just to make the field. He'll be hoping his fortunes can change quickly to enjoy those major championship summers again.

References: https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/golf/sergio-garcia-open-qualifying-liv-33149930

Find more Golf Brands you would like: