19th Hole
Report: Sergio Garcia in hot water unless he can provide valid reason for Wentworth withdrawal
The DP World Tour will fine Sergio Garcia for his sudden withdrawal from last week’s BMW PGA Championship unless he produces proof of a medical or emergency issue that caused his departure within three weeks.
The Telegraph report that Garcia is required to provide “emergency reasons or medical circumstances deemed reasonable by the tournament director” after leaving Wentworth following an opening round 4-over 76, missing the final two days of an event cut short by the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
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The 42-year-old, who has already inflamed playing colleagues on both sides of the Atlantic, was then pictured alongside his wife, Angela, supporting the Texas Longhorns, at the Texas-Alabama football game, appearing very much uninjured.
Reaction to the sudden disappearance and re-appearance of the 2017 Masters champion was met with disdain from the golfing community.
Sports journalist Paul Higham made his feelings known in his tweet:
So epically poor from Sergio Garcia to play at Wentworth, WD for no reason to get to a college game in the USA for Saturday lunchtime!
Him playing cost fellow Spaniard Alfredo Garcia Heredia a place – who is 134th & trying to keep his card!
Proper dick move Sergio pic.twitter.com/M9vtdm2pSR
— Paul Higham (@SportsPaulH) September 11, 2022
while our own Matt Vincenzi followed in with a damning verdict:
Disappointed in Sergio Garcia this week. Had a chance to go out and prove he’s still a competitor. Instead he played terribly then quit. Pathetic.
— Matt Vincenzi (@MattVincenziPGA) September 10, 2022
Martin Dempster, renowned golf reporter for The Scotsman, was another to show his displeasure:
Sergio Garcia showed utter contempt to @DPWorldTour players by posing for a photo at US college football game after withdrawing from @BMWPGA following the opening round. How can someone who was a legend in European golf lose all respect for being so utterly selfish! #sad
— Martin Dempster (@DempsterMartin) September 10, 2022
According to the paper, one high-profile player said, “However, you look at it, this is two fingers up from Garcia to the tour. He came to Wentworth saying he wanted to ‘support the Tour,’ but was obviously annoyed at what Keith Pelley said.”
As for Pelley, the CEO of the DP World Tour referenced one of Garcia’s previous accusations by commenting, “Can we please just stop the feeder tour nonsense once and for all? And as to the point of heading towards being the world’s fifth tour, one of our members who is playing here this week actually said that. It’s unbelievable.”
Not only has Garcia become something of a pariah for many of his former friends and colleagues, but he has now been accused of taking a playing spot ahead of other potential qualifiers for the flagship event of the tour, one of those affected being close friend Jon Rahm, previously a defendant of Garcia against the way the DP Tour turned their backs on him.
According to a tweet posted by Jamie Weir of Sky Sports, Rahm felt the inclusion of some of the 15 LIV players into the BMW PGA was personal — Garcia’s withdrawal must have stung:
Jon Rahm told me on Tuesday it was particularly personal for him that certain players were in the field this week as his good friend Alfredo García-Heredia was first reserve. Had Sergio García withdrawn before his opening round rather than after it, AGH would have played. https://t.co/6NYqGPBnc4
— Jamie Weir (@jamiecweir) September 10, 2022
The final comment is left to USA Today’s Eamon Lynch, who wrote in his latest column:
“Garcia’s professed support of the DP World Tour has never been much in evidence at its flagship event, where he has appeared only twice in the past 22 years. On his last showing, in 2014, he quit after one round. If nothing else, this week indicated how little he has changed in the intervening years,”
“He continued, “LIV expects its infantrymen to present themselves at every significant event for which they are eligible — to normalise its existence, to grab world ranking points, and to otherwise disrupt the status quo. And LIV doesn’t own a man more infantile than Garcia.”
“It’s futile to wonder if Garcia’s reputation among his peers will be hurt by this latest unprofessionalism, since one cannot further diminish that which has already been rendered fecal.”
I tried to find someone in support of Garcia’s actions. Still looking…
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19th Hole
Rory McIlroy takes shot at Greg Norman while discussing Monday’s Saudi PIF meeting
Rory McIlroy has recently changed his tune on both LIV and the Saudi Arabian PIF, but according to recent comments, he still isn’t a big fan of LIV Golf CEO, Greg Norman.
While speaking to the media after his final round of the PLAYERS Championship, McIlroy expressed optimism for PIF Governor Yasir al-Rumayyan’s intentions in the game of golf.
“They’re a sovereign wealth fund. They want to park money for decades and not worry about it,” McIlroy said of the PIF.
“They want to invest in smart and secure businesses, and the PGA Tour is definitely one of those, especially if they’re looking to invest in sport in some way.I have spent time with Yasir. I think the people who have represented him in LIV have done him a disservice, so Norman and those guys.”
Reportedly, a meeting will be taking place in Ponte Vedra today with the PGA Tour Board of Directors and the PIF. According to Bob Harig of Sports Illustrated, that meeting will include Tiger Woods.
“I think it should have happened months ago, so I am glad it’s happening,” Rory said.
“Hopefully that progresses conversations and gets us closer to a solution.”
More from the 19th Hole
- Rory McIlroy urges Ryder Cup eligibility rules to be re-written following Rahm’s LIV move
- Report: Former World Number 1 not joining LIV despite speculation
- Brooks Koepka’s Smash GC side and prominent golf journalist trade insults over latest LIV trade
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19th Hole
Scottie Scheffler had an interesting response when asked how he ‘quiets the noise’ following Players victory
After Scottie Scheffler’s incredibly impressive victory at the PLAYERS Championship, he spoke on camera about his approach.
Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee asked the world number one “how do you quiet the noise?”
Scheffler replied, “I just try to do my best to stay in my own little world. You know, I don’t have social media, I spend most of my time on Apple News.”
Scheffler added that he clicks “not for me” when golf articles come up to ensure that he doesn’t see anything regarding golf news.
“I really just do my best to stay out of reading things that are either good or bad about myself. If I’m reading bad things about myself, it’ll frustrate me. If I read good things about myself, my head will get too big. So, I really do my best to stay out of the fray and continue to put in the work”.
.@THEPLAYERS champion Scottie Scheffler outlines his secret to remaining focused and blocking out the noise. ?? #THEPLAYERS pic.twitter.com/6zWtKMvw99
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) March 18, 2024
Scheffler’s approach has clearly been a good one, as he’s playing some of the best golf of any professional in recent memory.
More from the 19th Hole
- Rory McIlroy urges Ryder Cup eligibility rules to be re-written following Rahm’s LIV move
- Report: Former World Number 1 not joining LIV despite speculation
- Brooks Koepka’s Smash GC side and prominent golf journalist trade insults over latest LIV trade
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19th Hole
Wyndham Clark impresses fans with post-round act following Players Championship heartbreak
The PLAYERS Championship certainly delivered an exciting finish, with Scottie Scheffler charging from five shots back to start the day to win The PLAYERS for a second consecutive season.
On the 18th hole, Wyndham Clark had a putt to tie the event and sent it to a playoff, but the ball went halfway down before narrowly lipping out at the last second.
One … shot … short … ?
Heartbreak for Wyndham Clark on the 72nd hole @THEPLAYERS. pic.twitter.com/6d1Qa3elOa
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 17, 2024
Despite of the heartbreaking defeat, Clark stayed back and signed autographs for fans.
Despite a heartbreaking defeat, Wyndham Clark still made time for the fans. ? pic.twitter.com/uG7KZQ4xTZ
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) March 17, 2024
Plenty of fans took to social media to express gratitude for Clark showing such class after such a difficult result.
This and the kind of man he showed himself to be in Full Swing may make him one of the top ten most popular golfers in the world.
— Joe from Simsbury (@SimsburyJoe) March 17, 2024
Beyond class. His time will come. Good things happen to good people
— Theodore J Prushinski (@TPrushinski) March 18, 2024
Clark’s appearance on Full Swing season 2 along with his ability to play well in big events have made him quickly rise to the top of the fan favorite list on the PGA Tour.
More from the 19th Hole
- Rory McIlroy urges Ryder Cup eligibility rules to be re-written following Rahm’s LIV move
- Report: Former World Number 1 not joining LIV despite speculation
- Brooks Koepka’s Smash GC side and prominent golf journalist trade insults over latest LIV trade
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