Infected nail puts Garcia out of IFQ

European Tour

Sergio Garcia, following in the footsteps of Tiger Woods, has quit a tournament after only a handful of holes.

Sergio Garcia has followed in the footsteps of Tiger Woods and quit a tournament after only a handful of holes.

Tiger did it at The Players a few weeks ago after nine holes because of an ankle injury, Garcia after only five holes in Monday’s Open Championship final international qualifier (IFQ) at Gleneagles Country Club in Plano, Texas, because of an ‘infected fingernail’ on his left hand.

“I couldn’t hold the club properly,” he explained on his Twitter account. “Hope full I’ll be fine for Thursday at the Nelson.”

The Nelson is this week’s Byron Nelson Championship at the TPC Four Seasons in Dallas and it’s an event Garcia, who was the runner up to another fallen star Padraig Harrington in The Open at Carnoustie four years ago after bogeying the final hole and losing the play-off, needs to win if he is going to get his ranking down from 73rd to inside the top 50 and thus qualify for this year’s Open at Sandwich without having to play in a qualifier.

Either that or the 31-year-old, who was the second highest World ranked golfer behind Woods only two years ago, will have to enter the last of the IFQ’s at Sunningdale in Berkshire, England, on June 6, but this would conflict with the US Open qualifier he has already entered in Memphis, USA, on the same day.

Times have really changed for the one time prospect who looked as if he would be one of the few to win a Major with Woods in the field.

England’s Brian Davis topped the US IFQ after shooting a six under par round of 64 at the Gleneagles Club in Plano, Texas.

Davis finished one shot ahead of American Chad Campbell as heavy rain forced the qualifier to be reduced from 36 holes to 18.

Joining Davis and Campbell in July will be Australia’s Nathan Green who shot a 66, a score matched by Americans Davis Love III, Spencer Levin, Chris Tidland and Bob Estes.

The final spot on offer went to Jerry Kelly who won a play-off for the last spot against Justin Hicks, Brand Snedeker, Marc Leishman, D.A. Points and Chris Di Marco, after all finished 3-under.

For Love, the current US Ryder Cup captain, his 66 earned him a 25th consecutive start at golf’s oldest major championship.

His best finish in the tournament was a tie for fourth at Royal St. Georges in 2003.

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