The Open: Sergio Garcia feared self-inflicted injury would stop him completing second round
By Sky Sports Golf
Last Updated: 21/07/17 4:02pm
Sergio Garcia has admitted to feeling concerned he wouldn't be able to complete his second round after sustaining a self-inflicted injury at The 146th Open at Royal Birkdale.
Garcia, who won his first major title at the Masters in April, hit a wayward tee shot to the par-3 fourth hole and his backswing for his chip shot to the green was impeded by a gorse bush.
The Spaniard's effort didn't reach the green and he took his frustration out by swinging his club backwards towards the bush, before holding his shoulder in obvious discomfort.
"It didn't feel good, said the 37-year-old who carded a one-under 69. "It felt like - because I hit it backwards and I was very weak, [in] a very weak position. And it felt like the muscles just went on top of each other. So it didn't feel good at all."
Garcia's two-over score for his opening two rounds will see him through to the weekend's play but he was genuinely concerned about his ability to play on after the incident and received treatment on the course.
The European Ryder Cup stalwart managed to recover from his travails on the fourth, which he bogeyed, to eagle the par-four fifth courtesy of driving the green.
Garcia admitted to being buoyed by the eagle at the fifth but was anxious throughout his round which clouded his thought process around the links course.
"It definitely cheered me up a little bit, but at the same time I didn't know if I was going to be able to finish the round, and I was very concerned about it," said Garcia.
"But obviously it did help but it was still a bit of a question mark."
The Masters champion admitted to emotions getting the better of him which consequently could have ruled him out of the rest of the third major of the year.
"I am not happy about it because I almost screwed up my British Open," added Garcia.
"Fortunately for me I didn't. But obviously it's not what you want to do. But sometimes you're out there and you're trying your hardest, and when you can't do it, it gets a little frustrating."
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