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Explosive Garcia snaps at British Open

Masters winner Sergio Garcia has made an explosive start to his British Open second round at Royal Birkdale.

Spanish golfer Sergio Garcia
Masters champion Sergio Garcia has made an explosive start to his second round of the British Open. (AAP)

Spanish golf superstar Sergio Garcia snapped at a photographer and hurt his shoulder lashing a shrub during an explosive second round at the British Open.

The Masters champion was furious after pulling his tee shot on the par-3 fourth over the back and into the edge of the bushes.

After punching his second out to just short of the green with an abbreviated backswing, Garcia angrily swatted his wedge into the gorse and immediately winced in pain.

He continued to clutch his right shoulder throughout the rest of the back nine.

"It didn't feel good," Garcia said after posting a 69 for a halfway total of two over par.

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"I hit it backwards. It was a very weak position, and it felt like the muscles went on top of each other. So it didn't feel good at all.

"Obviously I'm not happy about it because I almost screwed up my British Open.

"Fortunately for me I didn't. It's not want you want to do.

"Sometimes you are out there and you are trying your hardest. When you can't do it, you get frustrated. We've all had this."

After dropping a stroke to fall 10 shots off the pace, Garcia - seemingly unaffected by the injury - unleashed a monstrous drive on the next to hit through the green on the 316-metre par-4 fifth.

Garcia promptly drained his six-metre putt from off the green for an eagle two, drawing an almighty roar from the big gallery following him, Australia's former world No.1 Jason Day and 2015 Open champion Zach Johnson.

"(The eagle) definitely cheered me up," Garcia said.

"But, at the same time, I didn't know if I was going to be able to finish the round. I was still very concerned about it."

There was more drama involving Garcia on the next hole when the feisty Spaniard snarled "take more pictures when I'm hitting, please" and stared down the snapper after he left another putt from off the green short.

The world No.5 then sought a rules official when his ball oscillated on the green in the savage winds whipping the links course from off the Irish Sea.

But he held his nerve to hole the two-metre putt before eventually signing for a one-under round.


3 min read

Published

Source: AAP



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