Spanish golfer Sergio Garcia has dropped out of the top 100 in the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time in 23 years.
In July 1999, 19-year-old Garcia won the Irish Open by three shots over Angel Cabrera in just his sixth career start on the then-European Tour to move into the top 100 for the first time.
On Monday, the 42-year-old dropped to No 103.
It came as no surprise due to the ongoing struggle LIV Golf has had in attempting to gain OWGR points for their events.
When Garcia chose to jump ship to LIV Golf, leaving his icy relationship with the DP World Tour and PGA Tour behind, he knew he would have limited opportunities to earn OWGR points.
Garcia was still ranked 55 when he participated in the first LIV Golf Invitational in June. Since then, he has played in eight tournaments, four of which offer OWGR points, failing to make any significant impact on his position.
Garcia joined an illustrious list of players in 2020 when his run in the top 100 ran across four decades, joining the likes of Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh (Mickelson holds the record for the longest period inside the top 100 at 1,439 weeks).
Garcia’s potential return to the top 100 is uncertain as he cannot participate in PGA Tour tournaments and OWGR points have not yet been approved for LIV Golf events.
He is also no longer a member of the DP World Tour and, pending a court decision in February, may be one of the LIV golfers who will be banned from competing in tournaments on that Tour starting in 2023.
