A runner-up on LIV. Consistent top-10s. A made cut at Augusta. Sergio Garcia’s 2026 season, on paper, looked like a genuine return to form. Although he missed the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open in June was his chance to salvage his major season. Well, not anymore.

Garcia failed to qualify for the 2026 U.S. Open after finishing one under par at the Dallas Athletic Club final qualifying event. He needed to score three under par to force a playoff for one of the nine available spots, but he fell two shots short of the cutline. Frustrated, Garcia reportedly threw his scorecard into a trash can before walking to the parking lot. And why shouldn’t he? For the second consecutive year, his name will not appear in the U.S. Open field.

Garcia arrived at Dallas in arguably his best form in years, with a runner-up finish and multiple top-10s on LIV in 2026. Missing by just two shots, despite that form, makes it a painful and telling failure.

🤔 golf trivia

This Should Be an Easy One, Right?

01/10

How Many Players Are Within Five Strokes of the Lead After R1?

59394015

Oops, bogey!

But don’t worry, there’s still the back 9 to prove your high golf IQ

PLAY GOLF TRIVIA

Since his 2017 Masters win, Garcia’s U.S. Open record has faded—his last top-10 was a T3 at Pinehurst in 2005. His last U.S. Open start came at Pinehurst No. 2 in 2024, where he finished T12, and last year he ended a 25-consecutive-appearance streak at the tournament by missing qualifying.

His ranking collapse mirrors his major drought. Garcia missed the PGA Championship as well, kept out of the field because his world ranking sat at 184, not high enough to earn automatic entry. As a LIV Golf player, his access to Official World Golf Ranking points remains limited, which has steadily eroded his standing. As of now, his ranking is 187.

LIV results (runner-up Virginia, T4 Bahrain) have not translated to major access.

He also made the cut at the Masters in April, though he finished 52nd after a difficult final round.

Fellow Spaniard Jose Luis Ballester, who made headlines at last year’s Masters as the amateur spotted urinating in Rae’s Creek, also missed the US Open cut at Dallas.

Three LIV players succeeded where Garcia failed.

LIV Players who made it to the U.S. Open 2026

Peter Uihlein led all qualifiers at Dallas, shooting 66 and 67 across his 36 holes. His performance was the standout of the day, and he headlines the three LIV players who came through qualifying to book their place at Shinnecock Hills next month.

Graeme McDowell also qualified, finishing four under to earn a return to the U.S. Open for the first time since 2020. The 2010 champion will be back on the major stage after a six-year absence. Caleb Surratt secured the final Dallas spot after surviving a six-for-one playoff at three under.

Sergio Garcia was among the bigger LIV names who could not get through. With Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm already in the field, the U.S. Open will feature 13 LIV players at Shinnecock, just not Garcia.

The full list now includes Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson, Joaquin Niemann, Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Carlos Ortiz, Lucas Herbert, Laurie Canter, David Puig, Uihlein, McDowell, and Surratt.

Well, the U.S. Open 2026 is going to be an interesting one for LIV golfers, and particularly for two with Garcia out: Rahm and DeChambeau. Now, the question is, can Jon Rahm carry the same form he showed at the PGA Championship? Or DeChambeau can show his real game despite missing cuts in both the Majors and the PGA Championship.