LIV Golf defector Sergio Garcia has been slammed after withdrawing from the BMW PGA Championship before appearing at a college football game in Texas. Garcia was one of 18 LIV players making a controversial return to the DP World Tour.
The Spaniard competed in Thursday’s opening round, but failed to stamp his authority on the leaderboard after shooting a disappointing four-over-par 76. Play was then suspended on Friday due to the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, but ahead of resumption on Saturday Garcia withdrew from the event.
No clear reason from either the 2017 Masters champion or the DP World Tour was given for his weekend absence, and just a day later he was seen enjoying himself in Texas.
Garcia ill-timely shared pictures of himself and wife Angela watching the college game between Texas and Alabama on Instagram in the wake of his withdrawal. Unsurprisingly the LIV star’s photos were not well received by golf fans, with the Spaniard receiving plenty of backlash.
One golf fan slammed Garcia on Twitter, writing: “Regardless of where stand on Liv Golf, @TheSergioGarcia taking someone else's place at the bmw, quitting after 18 holes, is one of the most disgusting acts in golf history.”
These thoughts were echoed by another fan, who added: “LIV defector @TheSergioGarcia has taken a spot from someone in the @BMWPGA and withdrawn after round two. What a disgrace. Whilst golf writer Martin Dempster also hit out at the Spaniard, commenting: “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.
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“How can someone who was a legend in European golf lose all respect for being so utterly selfish!” Garcia's withdrawal coming after 18 holes, meant he was unable to be replaced by the tournament’s first reserve due to his opening round being completed.
This came at the expense of fellow Spanish star and namesake Alfredo Garcia-Heredia, who would have replaced the Ryder Cup stalwart if he had retired from the event prior to round one. Garcia-Heredia currently finds himself 134th in the DP World Tour’s order of merit, with the top 121 earning tour cards for 2023.
