Garcia prevails in playoff for 1st LIV win after Lahiri's missed tap-in
A surging Sergio Garcia bested Anirban Lahiri in a playoff at LIV Golf Andalucia to secure his first win on the circuit in his home country.
| Place | Player | Total to par | Round 3 score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sergio Garcia* | -5 | 66 |
| 2 | Anirban Lahiri | -5 | 73 |
| 3 | Tyrrell Hatton | -4 | 69 |
| T-4 | Patrick Reed | -3 | 67 |
| T-4 | Louis Oosthuizen | -3 | 69 |
*Won on second playoff hole
The Spaniard was tied for 11th at even par heading into the final round, but he carded six birdies on Sunday to enter contention. Garcia's only bogey of the day came on his last hole of regulation, but Lahiri missed the winning tap-in putt on No. 18, resulting in a playoff.
.@anirbangolf misses this winning putting on No. 18...
— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) July 14, 2024
This sends us to a double playoff for the individual and team titles 👀#LIVGolf @Crushers_GC pic.twitter.com/eAIlGcJyeX
Lahiri held a four-shot lead after Round 2, but he squandered that performance with a 2-over 73 on Sunday. He was also in pursuit of his first LIV win.
Garcia's last professional victory came at the 2020 Sanderson Farms Championship on the PGA TOUR, according to Sports Illustrated's Bob Harig.
Fellow Spaniard Jon Rahm didn't fare as well at Real Club Valderrama, ending the event tied for 10th place at even par.
Sunday was a big sports day for Spain on the whole.
On top of Garcia's individual win, he helped his team, the Fireballs, take the team title. Carlos Alcaraz also won his second straight Wimbledon men's final, and Spain is staring down a clash against England at the Euro 2024 final.
"I might be wrong, but I think that if the soccer team wins tonight, it could be probably one of the biggest days in the history of Spanish sports. ... It would be amazing to have all those four things happen in the same day," Garcia said, according to CBS Sports' Kyle Porter.