Sergio Garcia Snaps Driver in Half at The Open 2025: A Meltdown That Shocked Royal Portrush

On a windswept Sunday at Royal Portrush, during the final round of The Open Championship 2025, Sergio Garcia delivered a moment that will linger in golf fans’ minds for years. After a wayward tee shot on the par-5 second hole veered left into the punishing rough, the 45-year-old Spaniard, known for his fiery passion, let his frustration boil over. In a swift, almost instinctual motion, he slammed his driver into the turf, snapping the shaft clean in half. The golf world gasped, and social media erupted, as the dramatic scene unfolded at one of the sport’s most prestigious events.

Garcia, a former Masters champion and Ryder Cup icon, later reflected on the incident with a mix of surprise and nonchalance. “I didn’t feel like I did that much on the second tee. Obviously I didn’t hit a good drive, and I kind of swiped it back. I’ve done that 50 times, and I’ve never broken a club,” he told reporters. “The shaft just snapped in half, and I was actually surprised. Usually, if it breaks, it breaks by the neck, and it broke in the middle of the shaft.” His candid admission only added fuel to the intrigue surrounding the moment, as fans and analysts debated whether this was a fleeting lapse or a sign of deeper struggles.

The incident, captured vividly by Sky Sports and shared widely across platforms, sparked immediate backlash from some corners of the golf community. Posts on X called Garcia’s outburst “disrespectful” to his playing partner and the crowd, with one user lamenting, “This has to stop. It’s damaging the course and setting a terrible example.” Yet, in true Garcia fashion, the Spaniard didn’t let the mishap derail his round. Remarkably, he went on to birdie the very hole where his driver met its demise, finishing the day with a three-under-par 68, securing a likely top-35 finish. Playing the remaining 16 holes with just 13 clubs, Garcia leaned heavily on his 3-wood, averaging an impressive 287 yards off the tee on par-4s and par-5s.

This wasn’t just a moment of frustration—it was a high-stakes chapter in Garcia’s quest to secure a spot on the European Ryder Cup team for the 2025 event at Bethpage Black. As Europe’s all-time leading points scorer with 28.5 points across nine appearances, Garcia is no stranger to the biennial competition’s pressure cooker. However, his path to a record-tying 11th Ryder Cup appearance alongside legends Nick Faldo and Lee Westwood hinges on impressing captain Luke Donald. “I had a good conversation with Luke last week, and we both know what we want,” Garcia said earlier in the week at LIV Golf’s Andalucia event. “The only thing I can do is keep working hard, keep building my confidence up, and if I’m able to do that, then it should be fine. We’ll see.”

Garcia’s journey to Royal Portrush was already fraught with challenges. An agonizing three-foot miss in March had nearly dashed his hopes of qualifying for The Open, but he secured his spot as the leading non-exempt player in the LIV Golf rankings, a new entry category for the 153rd edition of the championship. His major season had been underwhelming—missing the cut at Augusta, finishing near the bottom at the PGA Championship, and failing to qualify for the U.S. Open. Royal Portrush represented his final chance to make a statement before Donald finalizes his Ryder Cup wildcard picks. “It’s no secret that we have been talking,” Garcia said of Donald after his round, hinting at a mutual understanding but refusing to divulge more. His eyes, however, betrayed a quiet confidence, as if he knew his performance might have tipped the scales.

The snapped driver incident wasn’t Garcia’s first brush with controversy. His fiery temperament has long been part of his allure, from his animated celebrations to occasional outbursts. In 2019, he was disqualified from a Saudi International event for damaging greens in frustration, and his history of on-course flare-ups has polarized fans. Yet, it’s this same passion that has fueled his storied career, including his 2017 Masters triumph and a LIV Golf win in Hong Kong earlier this year. At Royal Portrush, the irony wasn’t lost on observers: Garcia’s meltdown led to a birdie, proving his resilience even in the face of self-inflicted adversity.

The Rules of Golf added another layer of drama to the moment. Because Garcia broke his driver in anger, he was barred from replacing it, forcing him to adapt on the fly. “Then I got some good practice with the 3-wood,” he quipped, showcasing the humor and grit that have endeared him to fans over his 26-year career. His ability to post a 68 without his longest club underscored his skill and mental fortitude, qualities that could sway Donald’s decision as the Ryder Cup looms.

Social media buzzed with reactions, from awe at Garcia’s recovery to criticism of his temper. One X post captured the sentiment: “Sergio just smashed his driver on the ground and the head came off. Not a bad self-inflicted penalty, but this has to stop. Terrible role models.” Others, however, saw the moment as quintessentially Sergio—a raw, unfiltered display of emotion that makes him one of golf’s most compelling figures. The video of the incident, shared by outlets like Sky Sports and Golf Monthly, racked up thousands of views, fueling debates about golf’s emotional boundaries and the pressures of major championships.

Garcia’s performance at The Open also highlighted the broader narrative of LIV Golf’s presence in the majors. As one of 11 LIV golfers to make the cut at Royal Portrush, Garcia carried the weight of representing the breakaway tour. His qualification through LIV’s season-long standings, clinched after a tense battle at LIV Golf Dallas, underscored the tour’s growing influence, even as it navigates tensions with traditional golf bodies. “The Open is my favorite major,” Garcia said before the event. “I’ve always loved playing in front of the British crowds. I’m super excited to go back there and hopefully have a great week.”

As the dust settles on Royal Portrush, Garcia’s snapped driver will be remembered as a defining image of The Open 2025—a moment of frustration that morphed into a testament to his resilience. Whether it strengthens his case for a Ryder Cup wildcard remains to be seen, but Garcia’s ability to turn a meltdown into a respectable finish speaks volumes. With three LIV Golf events left before the Ryder Cup team is finalized, he has more opportunities to prove his worth. For now, the golf world is left buzzing, wondering what the Spaniard will do next—on and off the course.

For fans eager to see Garcia’s next move, his performance at Royal Portrush is a reminder of why he remains a polarizing yet captivating figure in golf. Will his passion propel him to another Ryder Cup triumph, or will his temper cost him? Only time, and perhaps Luke Donald, will tell.