PGA TourBrian KeoghSergio Garcia, Rory McIlroy, Wells Fargo Championship, LIV Golf Investments, LIV Golf Invitational Series

Angry Garcia hints at LIV Golf defection; Mickelson's $40 m gambling debt

PGA TourBrian KeoghSergio Garcia, Rory McIlroy, Wells Fargo Championship, LIV Golf Investments, LIV Golf Invitational Series
Angry Garcia hints at LIV Golf defection; Mickelson's $40 m gambling debt
Sergio Garcia

Sergio Garcia

SERGIO Garcia spoke like a man heading for Greg Norman’s LIV Golf Invitational Series when he lost his patience over a ruling and told a PGA Tour official, "I can't wait to leave this tour.”

The former Masters champion (42) flew into a hazard left at the 10th in the opening round of the Wells Fargo Championship in Maryland. Scores

He eventually found his ball but a rules official said he took too long and a frustrated Garcia muttered, “I can't wait to leave this tour.”

He added: “Can't wait to get outta here. ... just a couple more weeks until I don't have to deal with you anymore.”

While Lee Westwood has revealed he’s one of the 15 players from the world’s top 100 who have reportedly asked the PGA Tour for a release to play in the $25 million, inaugural LIV Golf Invitational Series event in London in June, it would be no surprise if Garcia joined him.

Garcia did not speak to the media after his round as speculation about the LIV Golf Series mounts.

(Garcia’s agent later confirmed he has applied for a release for the LIV Golf event while the PGA Tour revealed Garcia was correct to question the official who started timing him prematurely).

Phil Mickelson hopes to be at the first event at the Centurion Club despite branding the Saudis “scary motherf*****s” in a conversation with the author of a forthcoming unauthorised biography.

Writer Alan Shipnuck yesterday released an explosive excerpt from the book that revealed federal auditors investigating Mickelson’s role in an insider trading scheme found his gambling losses totalled more than $40 million (€37.9m) from 2010 to 2014.

As for the Wells Fargo Championship, Garcia shot a three-under 67 to share 17th place with Rory McIlroy, four shots behind Jason Day whose seven-under 63 gave him a one-shot lead over Joel Dahmen at TPC Potomac.

Back after a three-week break following his spectacular closing 64 to finish second at Augusta, McIlroy brushed in 116 feet of putts as he mixed seven birdies with two bogeys and a double-bogey in an eventful 67.

"I think first week back after three weeks off, there's maybe going to be a couple of mistakes in there," said McIlroy, who birdied five of his first six holes and followed a double bogey on the fourth - his 13th hole of the day - with birdies on the fifth and sixth.

"I probably left a couple out there, but I'm still pretty happy with 67. It could have been a 65 or a 64, but it's still a good start."

Séamus Power missed ten greens but scrambled to a level par 70, but it was a frustrating day for the Irish in the Betfred British Masters at The Belfry, where Paul Dunne dropped three shots on his last two holes for a four-over 76 as Jonathan Caldwell shot 77 and Cormac Sharvin 78.

New Zealand's Ryan Fox and Dane Thorbjorn Olesen made light work of the Brabazon Course and posted 66s to lead by a shot from Germany's Hurly Long, Scot Richie Ramsay and China's Ashun Wu.

On the LET, Olivia Mehaffey continued her good form with a three-under 69 in the Madrid Ladies Open.

The Banbridge star is tied for eighth, two strokes behind France's Agathe and Swedes Maja Stark and Jessica Karlsson at Jarama-RACE Golf Club.

Mehaffey is a major idol for Knock's Katie Poots, one of the leading Irish hopes for the 54-hole Flogas Irish Women's and Girls' Amateur Open at County Louth.

The Belfast schoolgirl (16) won the Fairhaven Trophy last weekend and hopes her carefree attitude to the game will pay off as she sets off at Baltray today.

"I played it last year and came 15th," said Poots, who dreams of playing on the LPGA Tour one day. "I'm looking forward to it, just to play another round of golf and enjoy myself while I'm out there."

At the Alps Tour's Molinetto Alps Open in Milan, David Carey's four-under 67 left him just three shots behind leader Alessandro Tadini (63) heading into the final round with Conor Purcell (68) five off the pace on six-under and Gary Hurley (71) four-under.

Meanwhile, Waterford's Kevin Phelan was tied for fifth, three shots behind leader Dongmin Lee after opening with a three-under 68 in the Asian Tour's Caltex Maekyung Open at Namseoul Country Club in Korea.