Last Tuesday, England's Justin Rose secured one of the four spots for this month’s British Open at Troon, despite having missed the cut in four of the last five majors. The 43-year-old, a 2013 US Open champion, clinched his spot in the final qualifier at Burnham Burrow in Somerset, finishing first, tied with compatriot and amateur Dominic Clemons, with a score of 134 (-8).

The veteran golfer, born in Johannesburg, remains confident that he “still has what it takes to win the British Open,” a tournament where he first made his mark at age 17 in Birkdale, 1998, and later tied for second place in Carnoustie, twenty years later, in 2018.

"The Open has been like a love story for me since I was a kid. As you get a bit older, things get tougher," Rose reflected after the qualifying tournament, noting the positive aspect of having to qualify as it “makes you appreciate how special it is.”

Meanwhile, at West Lancashire, there was disappointment for another former champion and absolute icon in golf history, as Sergio García, the 2017 Masters champion now part of LIV Golf, failed to secure a spot in the sport’s oldest championship.

García finished two strokes short of the top four, just as he did 12 months ago, preventing the golfer from Valencia from reaching his 100th major.

"I came here trying my best to get into the Open. It would have been nice to make the Open my 100th major, but the conditions were tough and sometimes things don’t go your way," García stated afterwards.

The Spaniard’s low world ranking after joining LIV Golf means the only major he currently qualifies for on merit is the US Masters as a past champion.

'El Campeón de Borriol', as he is popularly known, remains a global figure, clearly demonstrated by the hundreds of spectators who followed him during the qualifier. Ironically, this popularity created issues, with long delays at each hole due to the large crowd.

As a result, his group received a warning for slow play, which García deemed “unfair,” leading to a couple of missed shots that proved decisive.

"The officials were doing the best they could, but we had to stop practically at every tee for two or three minutes because people were walking on the fairways," said the former world number 2.

Additionally, he believed that the crowded conditions, combined with the challenging playing conditions, required more time, contributing to a couple of bogeys that could have cost him the qualification, as ultimately happened.