Sergio Garcia earns exemption to The Open Championship

Sergio Garcia has earned an exemption to play in The Open Championship at Royal Portrush thanks to his standing on the LIV Tour.

The 45-year-old Spaniard, who failed to qualify for the last two Opens after playing every year from 1998 through 2022, secured his slot because the exemption list welcomes LIV's highest-ranked non-exempt player provided he's in the top five.

Garcia stands fifth on LIV's Individual Championship points list and all four players in front of him -- Joaquin Niemann, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Patrick Reed -- already own spots in the 153rd Open being held July 17-20 at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.

Garcia, whose lone major championship is the 2017 Masters, has challenged for The Open title on several occasions. He lost a playoff to Padraig Harrington in 2007 at Carnoustie and he shared second in 2014 at Royal Liverpool -- two shots behind Rory McIlroy.