Sergio García forced to finish Open without his driver after snapping club in frustration

As a Masters champion and Ryder Cup icon, Sergio García boasts a resume that most golf lovers could only dream of. Yet for a few furious seconds at The Open Championship on Sunday, he was relatable to even the most amateur of hackers.

As a Masters champion and Ryder Cup icon, Sergio García boasts a resume that most golf lovers could only dream of. Yet for a few furious seconds at The Open Championship on Sunday, he was relatable to even the most amateur of hackers. The Spaniard played the last 16 holes of his 26th appearance at the major without his driver after snapping the club in frustration just five shots into his final round at Royal Portrush, Northern Ireland. Having opened with par, the 45-year-old wasted little time in showing his displeasure when his drive from the second tee careened left into the rough alongside the fairway. In an almost fluid follow through from his swing, ball still in the air, García slammed his driver into the turf. The outburst stopped there, but the damage was done, as the lower half of the severed club bounced away towards the 11-time PGA Tour winner’s bag. With players permitted to repair or replace clubs “except in cases of abuse,” as per the rules of tournament organizers The R&A, García headed on without one of his most important weapons. On his return to the clubhouse, García said he had not been trying to break the club and was “surprised” to see it snap in half. “I’ve done that 50 times, and I’ve never broken a club,” he told reporters.