Garcia crashes with an 89

Spanish star Sergio Garcia came crashing back to earth with a nasty bump today with an embarrassing first round at Carnoustie.

The 19-year-old, tipped to qualify for the European Ryder Cup team this year after claiming his maiden victory at the Irish Open, slumped to an extraordinary round of 89, 18 over par.

The former amateur champion, who fired an opening round 62 at Loch Lomond just eight days ago, then refused to give any interviews as he walked off the 18th green.

The writing had been on the wall as early as the first hole when he ran up a triple bogey seven and he reached the turn in eight over 44, two more strokes than he has taken to play nine holes of his home course left-handed.

Garcia admits he nearly walked off

Sergio Garcia, Spain's wonder kid, tonight admitted he considered walking off the course amid the carnage of Carnoustie.

The 19-year-old, hailed as Europe's great golfing hope after turning professional two months ago, completed a nightmare first round to The Open with an 18-over-par 89.

Then, after storming away from the course to calm down with his family, Garcia returned several hours later to brand the course "unfair".

Garcia, who began with a devastating three-over-par seven at the first hole, said: "It does cross your mind at times that you'd like to walk off, but my caddie said 'Come on, let's see if you can shoot 80'.

"But I had two doubles in a row and it was impossible to get it going. Every time I had some momentum something slowed me up.

"It's part of the learning experience. I don't see this test as very fair. It's too difficult. Every single Open has been difficult but I like to see people enjoying themselves. This year is too tough.

"What I don't understand is that people complain about the US Open when they put the rough so high and the greens so hard. Then you get to this Open when you know there is going to be a bad climate, very windy, and they put the rough half a metre high and the fairways 10 metres wide. The public don't enjoy it.

"Yes, I was suffering."

But Garcia vowed to put the experience behind him and show his true form tomorrow.

"I don't think there is too much I can take from this except possibly patience," he said. "I am just learning to take things as they come even when they don't come out like you want them to.

"But I am young and I know what I have to do. I am not going to worry about this round. I will forget it and start again tomorrow.

"At the end I left because I wanted to be alone for two hours with my family. I wanted to speak when I was calm."