LIV Golf: Sergio Garcia wins playoff after brutal Lahiri lip-out

Spain has already had a banner sports activities day, and the extremely anticipated European Championship soccer remaining between the Spanish and the English has not even began but.

Carlos Alcaraz dominated Wimbledon, defeating the legendary Novak Djokovic in straight units to win the oldest tennis match on the earth for a second consecutive yr.

Then, in Andalucía, Sergio Garcia, carrying the colours of his native Spain, gained the primary LIV Golf occasion of his profession in dramatic trend. He defeated Anirban Lahiri in a two-hole playoff, as Lahiri missed a short putt on the 18th gap to pressure additional holes. Garcia consequently took benefit of the chance Lahiri gave him on his residence soil.

“Without a doubt,” Garcia mentioned when requested if his win in Spain was a profession spotlight.

“Not solely that, but additionally Carlos successful. Alcaraz gained right now. Hopefully, Spain wins tonight. It could be an unbelievable weekend. Actually, I used to be speaking to my spouse and my supervisor, and I mentioned, ‘If I can shoot 5-under, I’ll see what occurs.’ But I performed properly, performed properly within the playoff. It’s only a powerful gap. But so glad.

Garcia went out and carded a terrific 5-under 66, the bottom spherical of the day at Real Club Valderrama, the course that hosted the 1997 Ryder Cup and a LIV Golf occasion over the previous two years.

Photo By Joaquin Corchero/Europa Press by way of Getty Images

The 2017 Masters champion started the day on the 4th gap—underneath LIV’s shotgun format—and opened his remaining spherical with a birdie. Five extra birdies adopted on the following 10 holes, as Garcia surged up the leaderboard and into rivalry. But he three-putted the third gap—his final gap of the day—to drop again to 5-under general.

Lahiri, in the meantime, began on the primary gap and didn’t have his finest stuff on Sunday after posting a 7-under rating by 36 holes. He made two bogies over his first six holes, however did handle to birdie the par-5 4th. Another birdie adopted on the par-5 eleventh, and by then, Lahiri appeared like he had management of the match once more. But he made three bogies over his remaining 4 holes, together with that brief miss on the final. And but, he nonetheless had an opportunity to win, thanks to a different birdie make on the par-5 seventeenth.

“Losing isn’t enjoyable,” mentioned Bryson DeChambeau, who had an extended embrace with Lahiri after the spherical.

“That’s what makes successful so a lot better. I really feel for Ban.”

Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be positive to take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You can comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as properly.