Late flight forces ex-LIV golfer, 26, to surrender a US Open place as he tries to rebuild his career

Former LIV golfer Eugenio Chacarra remarkably withdrew from the running to be on the backup list for next month’s US Open – all because of a late flight to Belgium.

The 26-year-old was competing for a place in the field at the third major of the year on Monday and was in a six-man playoff for the final place at Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, New York.

But when Caleb Surratt drained a putt for birdie, the remaining five were fighting for two places on the list of reserves.

Chacarra, however, decided enough was enough. As he would later explain, he is trying to earn his PGA Tour card after leaving LIV Golf and, in his mind, he is better placed to do that on Europe’s DP World Tour, rather than relying on players to get injured to allow him to potentially compete at the US Open.

For a brief moment, there was widespread confusion as Chacarra walked away from qualifying.

‘Very odd scenario in the 6 for 1 playoff,’ the popular golf account Monday Q Info tweeted. ‘On the first hole Caleb Surratt made birdie to win. The other five players made par and moved on to play for 1st and 2nd alt. Both VERY important at this site. 

‘And Eugenio Chacarra just left. Not sure what happened or he didn’t understand importance of the alternate spots. Absolutely bizarre.’

Chacarra opened up on his thinking in a post on X, writing: ‘I left because my goal it’s (sic) to get my PGA Tour card through the DP Tour and for me to prepare Belgium the right way was to get that flight. 

‘When you fly to Europe you lose one day and that was the only chance I had to get there on time to get some rest and practice the course.’

He added: ‘I had my flights from me and my team booked at 9:30, the play off finished at 7:50. For me playing majors it’s very important but for my stage of my career playing good in Europe to get my pga tour card it’s the main goal.

‘It was a great fight all day were (sic) I learned a lot. I keep putting myself in position to win events or go through qualifiers. I’m still learning and trying to get better.’

The Spaniard needs to finish be one of the top 10 of the DP World Tour money list this year to clinch a PGA Tour card for 2027 that is not already in possession of one.

So for example, Rory McIlroy is currently second on the tour’s rankings but as he already is guaranteed a card, he is not included among the 10 players vying for a place on the circuit. 

Going into this week’s Soudal Open in Antwerp Chacarra is 20th, so he has plenty of work to do for the rest of the year.