A sunny day in north-west England should have provided the ideal backdrop for Sergio Garcia’s bid to qualify for the Open Championship but while the 43-year-old had a place at Hoylake in his hands for so long he eventually let it slip.
The Spaniard was followed by bumper crowds at West Lancashire Golf Club in Crosby near Liverpool – a part of the world which has proved a happy hunting ground for Garcia in the past – but came up three shots shy of extending his run at the major into a 26th successive year.
Having got to eight under through 24 holes, which at the time was good enough for one of the top five spots to qualify, one bad lie and poor chip cost him a shot and halted his momentum.
From there it was all a bit of a struggle as he appeared to run out of steam – as a LIV golfer Garcia is more used to playing 54 holes over three days rather than 36 in a little over 10 hours.
His frustrations boiled over at the par-five 16th where, having been pin-high on the right fringe in two, he backed off a five-foot birdie putt after being disturbed by a photographer and then when he missed he could not hold back any longer.
“D***! As if it’s not frickin’ hard enough” was the invective spilled at the unsuspecting bystander.
That was the point when Garcia knew he was probably not going to be successful in his quest and it was effectively confirmed when his ball rolled off the green into a hollow at the par-three next.
At six under he had already been passed by others to push him out of contention and even if he had holed his 12-foot birdie attempt at the last it would not have been enough.
“I was rolling nicely, I got a pretty bad break on seven in the afternoon and it stalled my momentum a little bit. Then it was tough to get going again but I gave it everything I had,” he said afterwards.
“I was thinking probably eight might get to a play-off but I was trying to get to 10.
“If you come here you put yourself in that situation. I felt I had it close, in the grasp of my hand, but that’s what it is.
“I was trying and unfortunately it just wasn’t good enough.”
The day began for Garcia at 7.20am off the 10th tee, where a crowd of about 200 had assembled under cloudy skies and windy conditions.
Such was the Ryder Cup star’s draw there would probably have been a few local schools double-checking their attendance registers but those who turned up were given a rare treat.
With the freedom to roam the fairway behind their hero the public got much closer to Garcia then they ever would at an Open Championship.
Although it was slightly chaotic, it was all good-natured, with the players not bothered by fans as they made their way through the melee, but six holes in it had started to cause an issue for the group behind who were continually waiting for the landing area to clear.
More stewards with long pieces of rope were called for and the issue quickly subsided.
Three successive birdies from the 18th moved Garcia to three under and after finding a bunker at the 154-yard third saw him drop his first shot, birdies at the fifth, where he narrowly missed eagle, and ninth saw him sign for a five-under 67 and sit just one off the lead.
Just over an hour later he was back out off the first, with an enlarged gallery basking in the sun, and two birdies in his first six holes got him to eight under.
Everything seemed to be well in this part of north-west England where Garcia has a good record, with three of his 10 best Open finishes coming at Hoylake, in 2006 and 2014, and Royal Lytham in 2001.
But then things started to stutter when he left himself an impossible up-and-down after his short chip flew the green at the almost-drivable 355-yard seventh.
A three-putt from the front of the 10th, missing a five-footer for par, and suddenly he was back to six under and under pressure.
A free drop off a path at the par-five 11th resulted in a 15-footer for birdie which brought Garcia’s first – and only – fist pump of the day but the frown was back again at the 363-yard 13th when his approach missed the green.
With holes running out the pressure was starting to build, resulting in his blow-up at the 16th, and while he was welcomed back by a large crowd in front of the clubhouse it was not the finish Garcia – or they – wanted.
Samuda and Munn-Barrow triumph at AMG Buccaneer Memorial Golf Tournament
Owen Samuda and Jodi Munn-Barrow emerged as champions of the AMG Buccaneer Memorial Golf Tournament, held at the Caymanas Golf Club in St. Catherine over the weekend. The annual event, one of Jamaica’s most prestigious golf tournaments, saw over 80 golfers competing despite challenges posed by recent weather conditions.
Samuda, who has been enjoying a stellar run of form, dominated the male category with back-to-back rounds of one-under-par 71, finishing with an impressive two-under-par 142. He won by a commanding 13-stroke margin, cementing his reputation as one of the country’s top golfers.
Reflecting on his victory, Samuda shared, “After the disappointment in the Jamaica Open last week, I realized that you can’t drive a car while looking behind you. I came into this tournament with a lot of confidence and positive thoughts. I played really well yesterday, and even better today, so I feel great about the win.”
Samuda’s performance marked the only under-par scores across the tournament. Former national champion Oshae Haye finished second with an 11-over-par 155, while Zandre Roye and Sean Morris tied for third at 14-over-par 158.
In the female category, Jamaica Golf Association President Jodi Munn-Barrow delivered her trademark consistency to claim the Ladies 0-6 title. Munn-Barrow posted scores of 75 on both days, totaling six-over-par 150 to secure her win by a comfortable 21 strokes over Michele McCreath, who finished at 171.
“It was a little more difficult this time,” Munn-Barrow admitted. “I haven’t been playing much because of my involvement with the Jamaica Open, so my game this weekend was scrappy. But I managed to get the ball around, and I’m happy with how I performed despite not being at my best.”
The tournament also featured numerous category winners, including Quentin Hugh-Sam and Philip Gooden, who scored 168 to win the Men & Men Senior 7-12 section. Other winners included Gifford Wilmott (Men & Men Senior 13-24) with a score of 157, and Diane Hudson, who topped the Ladies 13 and over category with a score of 184.
The event, held for the 29th year, is a tribute to seven of Jamaica’s past national golf representatives: Milton "Buddy" Josephs, Izette Rhone, Lenan "Lennie" Chin, John Fulford, Al Chong, Claude Stewart, and Mark Chin. Proceeds from the tournament benefit the Lawes Street Trade Training Centre, with the goal of raising JMD$1 million annually.
Peter Chin, president of the Buccaneers Golf Club, praised the event’s resilience despite weather challenges. “This tournament has been running since the 1990s and is the oldest golf tournament outside of the Jamaica Open on the JGA calendar. The course was in great condition considering the rain over the past few weeks,” Chin said.
The AMG Buccaneer Memorial Golf Tournament was sponsored by AMG Packaging, with Scientific & Medical Supplies as an associate sponsor.
McIlroy honoured to be 'mentioned in same breath' as Ballesteros after matching Race to Dubai tally
Rory McIlroy says he is honoured to be "mentioned in the same breath" as Seve Ballesteros, after matching the Spaniard's haul of six Race to Dubai titles.
McIlroy secured the title for the third year running following his victory at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai on Sunday.
The four-time major winner finished two shots clear of Denmark's Rasmus Hojgaard to seal his third triumph in the event.
"Everyone knows what Seve means to European golf and Ryder Cup players," an emotional McIlroy told Sky Sports.
"The European Ryder Cup locker room, all we have are quotes from Seve. We had a changing room with Seve's shirt from [1995], the last Ryder Cup he played.
"He means so much to European golf and for me to be mentioned in the same breath, I'm very proud."
"I've been through a lot this year, professionally, personally, and it feels like the fitting end to 2024," added McIlroy, who narrowly lost out on the US Open title to Bryson DeChambeau.
"I've persevered this year a lot, had close calls, wasn't able to get it done. I'm really pleased with the way I finished and, thankfully, I hung on after a tough day and got the job done."
McIlroy seals sixth Race to Dubai title with DP World Tour Championship triumph
Rory McIlroy secured his sixth Race to Dubai title with victory at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
McIlroy finished at 15 under par and two shots clear of Rasmus Hojgaard, who he partnered during the final round, to seal glory at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
The four-time major winner claimed his record-equalling third triumph in this event, matching Jon Rahm.
It is also his third successive Race to Dubai victory - and sixth overall to move level with Seve Ballesteros.
McIlroy was tied for the lead heading into the final day, and a run of four successive birdies gave him a three-shot advantage early on.
However, he hit bogeys on the ninth and 13th holes, allowing Hojgaard to draw level heading into the final four.
Nevertheless, McIlroy dug deep with a brilliant approach leading to a birdie on the 16th, which put him back in front.
And while Hojgaard could only par the final hole after narrowly missing a birdie putt, the Northern Irishman held his nerve with another birdie to seal his seventh tournament win in Dubai.
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