2017 Masters champion Sergio Garcia has expressed his sorrow following the deadly high-speed train collision in Urda, Spain. At least 68 people have died, according to the latest reports from Spanish authorities, and dozens more were injured. Born and raised in Spain, the 11-time PGA Tour winner shared a message of condolence for the victims.
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“All our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and families affected by the train accident in Urda,” he wrote on Instagram alongside a picture of the Spanish flag. “Very sad day for Spain. RIP🙏🏼”
The collision happened on Wednesday morning, just 17 days after Garcia finished tied for 37th at the Open de España, held at the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, roughly 93 miles (150 km) from Urda. It involved two trains operated by Spain’s national rail operator, Renfe, and the private company Iryo, and triggered a major emergency response.
Rescue workers, ambulances, and helicopters were dispatched to the scene to assist injured passengers and search through the wreckage.
Transport Minister Óscar Puente said a computer communications failure triggered a red signal, which automatically halted rail traffic. He said an erroneous decision was then made to restart the Renfe train, in breach of protocol.
The Renfe train struck the rear of the stationary Iryo train, derailing two of its carriages. Investigators are still working to establish the precise sequence of events. About 544 people were aboard the two trains: roughly 397 on the Renfe AVE service and 147 on the Iryo train.
Reuters also reported that this was Spain’s second major deadly railway accident of 2026. The first occurred in January near Adamuz, in Córdoba province, when a derailed Iryo train collided with an oncoming Renfe service and killed at least 45 people. Spain’s railway safety authority recorded 45 accidents in 2016.
That figure rose to 57 in 2024 and 69 in 2025. The increase comes as high-speed ridership falls. About 25 million passengers used high-speed trains in the first half of 2026, roughly 14 percent fewer than in the same period last year, according to a Reuters analysis of data from Spain’s competition authority.
Concerns have also been raised over railway maintenance spending. European Commission data shows that Spain, despite operating a high-speed network of roughly 4,000 km (2,485 miles), has lagged behind other large European nations in funding for upkeep of existing lines.
Between 2018 and 2022, Spain spent an average of about €1.5 billion a year on its high-speed network, more than any other country. However, the vast majority went to new infrastructure, with only about 16 percent earmarked for maintenance, renewal, and upgrades.
Garcia’s message comes shortly after his departure from LIV Golf amid the league’s bankruptcy restructuring. In late September, the 46-year-old’s lawyers asked the court to declare his contract terminated or to allow him to terminate it himself.
They argued that uncertainty over his contract was making sponsors and tournament organisers hesitant to work with him, hampering his ability to plan his schedule. On October 6, a New Jersey bankruptcy court lifted the automatic stay on his contract, clearing the way for him to terminate it.
Garcia is now a free agent, and his next move is unclear. He has said he has not ruled out staying with LIV’s restructured league, and he has also left the door open to a PGA Tour return. He has reportedly set his sights on a place on the 2027 European Ryder Cup team.