Katie Goodale-USA TODAY Network
Sergio Garcia, the two-time runner up at the PGA Championship, will not be in the field this weekend.
The PGA Championship field has some of the world’s best golfers, but fans won’t get to see Sergio Garcia at the event. 18 LIV Tour guys will tee it up at Oak Hill Country Club, but the fiery Spaniard will not be one of them.
This year’s event features 99 of the top 100 golfers in the world, with Will Zalatoris being the lone man out due to his back injury, per Golf News.
Garcia, the former two-time PGA Championship runner up, did not meet any of the requirements to be eligible for this year’s tournament. He has not won any golf major in the last five years, which would have provided an exemption. He currently ranks No. 189 globally, which isn’t going to cut it.
The last time Garcia wasn’t eligible for a major was in 1999 for the U.S. Open when he was just two months into his professional career. Louis Oosthuizen is also ending his eligibility streak for majors as he has qualified for each one since 2009 — he ranks No. 163 globally.
While Garcia has missed majors in the past for various reasons, it’s the first time in 24 years Garcia won’t be allowed to play. As one of the staples of the sport since the 90’s, it’s just another example of how wild professional golf has become in recent years.
LIV Golf is working with the OWGR to gain their players ranking points through their smaller 48-man and 54-hole events. Without a way to earn points, many players have dropped outside the top 100 in the world. If a player is outside the top 100, playing in a major is difficult to attain unless they have won a major or the Players Championship recently.
The PGA of America did however give Webb Simpson a special invitation to play even though he is currently ranked No. 150 in the world.
