Sergio Garcia says he'll play U.S. Open qualifier

IRVING, Texas - Hold the obits on Sergio Garcia's major championship streak.

Garcia, who has played in every major championship since the 1999 British Open, has fallen out of the top 50 in the World Ranking and is in danger of missing the U.S. Open and the British Open. He withdrew from Monday's British Open qualifier because of an infected fingernail and had said he would not play sectional qualifying for next month's U.S. Open at Congressional.

But after an opening-round 66 at the Byron Nelson Championship, Garcia seems to have changed his mind. He said Thursday he will play sectional qualifying, provided he doesn't win this week's HP Byron Nelson Championship or next week's Memorial Tournament.

"I'm going to give it my best shot and like I said, if we get it, we get into the tournament, it will be great," Garcia said. "I love playing in the U.S. Open. If not, then we'll go back to Europe and just watch it on TV." - Art Stricklin