Another one bites the dust! Imagine working for years and then some, only to get disqualified from a tournament before you’ve even had a chance to really get going. That’s what happened to LIV Golf’s latest casualty, who was competing in a qualifying tournament for the Open Championship. Sam Horsfield’s hopes of reaching Royal Portrush were dashed after a dismal front nine, where he carded a seven-over-par 43.

The 28-year-old English golfer, who joined LIV as a founding member in 2022, was aiming to secure one of five qualifying spots at West Lancs Golf Club. Horsfield’s day ended abruptly after nine holes, and it’s not like he didn’t know when to call it quits — it’s just that he forgot to tell the right people. The R&A, which recently changed some traditions, confirmed that Horsfield failed to inform tournament officials of his withdrawal, resulting in his disqualification. Oops!

He’d started the day one-over-par and still in the running, but a disastrous streak of three consecutive double bogeys seemed to take the wind out of his sails. Maybe he was just having one of those days where everything goes wrong.

Horsfield’s not the only LIV member vying for a spot in the Open Championship — there are plenty of others still in the running. Paul Casey, Abraham Ancer, and Branden Grace might have pulled out, but guys like Anirban Lahiri, Caleb Surratt, and Jinichiro Kozuma are still in it to win it. And let’s not forget Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, and Henrik Stenson’s teammate, who’s still gunning for a spot.

Yet, the real drama is still surrounding the recent disqualification, and fans are taking to social media to express their views.

Netizens find the R&A’s decision ‘unnecessary’

Starting off strong with what one fan said, “This happens all the time at qualifiers. Not the DQ part but the WD after they play poorly. This isn’t news,” while the other wrote, “Is this a story? I thought half of them quit midway when they had no chance.” And sadly, it is true – quitting has become a trend on the PGA Tour, with some of the biggest names in the game deciding to leave early when their rounds start to balloon.

Billy Horschel even joked about it on Twitter, emphasizing that quitting isn’t acceptable, especially when thousands of fans have bought tickets to watch them play. “Never crossed my mind to WD. I played bad. No excuses”, he tweeted in 2014.

One fan wrote, “He was DQd after he quit. Got it”, while the other said, “So they are disqualifying him after he withdrew? Seems unnecessary.” Well, Horsfield isn’t the only one who has withdrawn from the qualifier so far — Adrian Meronk, a LIV Golf player, also called it quits after just 18 holes at Dundonald Links in Scotland. The 32-year-old Pole had a three-over-par round of 75 and was set to tee off for round 2, but decided to retire instead.

Like Sam Horsfield, who withdrew after nine holes at West Lancashire, Meronk’s Open dreams will have to wait a little longer. Both players had traveled a long way from the LIV Golf event in Dallas, but unfortunately, their qualifying attempts were cut short.

One fan just wrote one word, but it spoke volumes: “Petulance.” Do you think Meronk will face the same fate as Horsfield? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!