Fireballs GC team press conference with Sergio Garcia and Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra, David Puig and Abraham Ancer.
-How does it feel to be back?
-Sergio Garcia: It’s unbelievable. Obviously, every time we go back to Spain, we feel very, very good. Obviously it’s our home country for the four of us, I would say. We carry it with the Spanish spirit. But to come back to Valderrama, it’s super special. Not only for me but for all of us because of how much Valderrama means to all of us, to Europe, all the incredible things that have happened here on this golf course. We are very excited about it.
-Eugenio, how does it feel to be back home?
-EUGENIOLÓPEZ-CHACARRA: It feels good, as Sergio said. I haven’t been to Spain for a long time. I think the last time I came was at Christmas. It’s a little weird, but I love it. It’s a lot of fun, the people, the public, the food, and being able to see family and friends, it’s a very nice thing. Obviously, being at Valderrama, probably the best course we have in Spain, is something special.
-David, is there going to be extra nervousness for you this week when you’re on the tee with all the spectators around?
-DAVID PUIG: Maybe, but at the end of the day nerves are good, especially here at Valderrama with all the public supporting us. It’s amazing how these people support us in every stroke. So to see the fans and to see Valderrama, how pure it is, it’s going to be special for sure, and we’re looking forward to it.
-Abe, how does it feel to be the adopted Spaniard this week?
-ABRAHAM ANCER: I feel very good. I really feel that they have taken me as one of their own. It is a golf course that we all love. I think everyone in this field is very excited to play this week, as they should be. It’s a real gem and we’re excited about it. I think the public is going to support us. I think Jon is also going to have a following. But it’s going to be phenomenal.
-Obviously, you are the Spanish team; however, do you feel there might be a bit of rivalry now because you have Jon Rahm and his Legion XIII team here?
–Sergio Garcia: Well, there is rivalry with everyone, but obviously we know how good Jon is and what he also means for Spanish golf. It’s normal that he has a lot of fans here too, and his team. But we’re happy where we are, and we know we’re going to have incredible support. We are happy with that.
-David, this week we sent a film crew to your home in Barcelona to document your career since you started in Barcelona and how far you’ve come. Can you take a moment to reflect on that and what it meant to you that people went home and documented your life?
-DAVID PUIG: Yes, it was incredible. Danny and David, as well as Andrew, first of all, are great people, so we had a good time. Yeah, it’s amazing that LIV Golf came to my house, to my course and recorded a little bit of everything I used to do before I turned pro and what I’m doing now. Again, it’s amazing the support from everybody and I’m super excited with what we’ve been doing as a team and also the results I’ve been doing so far.
-Sergio, you said that Valderrama is your favorite golf course in the world. Can you talk a little bit about that?
-SERGIO GARCIA: Yes. For me, obviously, there’s nothing really about likes and dislikes, but for me, I love the way it’s played. I love that it’s not a long course, but it makes you think about every tee shot, every shot to the green. You have to think about what you want to do. I think it’s probably one of the few fields that forces you to use all the sticks in the bag, which is good to see. It is not seen as often in some of the new designs. In my personal opinion, that’s what makes a great golf course. That’s one of the reasons, and the area is incredible, the support we get here from Andalucía and all the sponsors. We are very happy to be back here.
-From there, obviously you’ve won here, I think three times, but what would it mean to win your first LIV event here at Valderrama?
-SERGIO GARCIA: Well, that’s a lot of yeses. Let’s take it slow, slow, slow. I guess slowly but surely, what the four of us have to do is have a solid week going into Sunday, get as high as we can with a chance. That would be a good start. Carlos needs to win today, is it today or tomorrow when they play? Today. That’s the second step. Then, in the evening, we’ll watch Spain against England and see if we can have an incredible Sunday. Obviously, a lot of things have to line up for that.
-David and Eugenio, you are still among the youngest players, but this is your third year in LIV. You each have two professional victories. Do you still feel identified as the young guys here, or are you a bit older now?
-EUGENIO LÓPEZ-CHACARRA: If you look at age, yes, but obviously, having been competing with probably many of the best players in the world for three years now, you get more confident every week. I think we’ve both shown that we can compete at this level, and I hope we can both have a great week in Spain. It would be very special for both of us.
-DAVID PUIG: Yes, the same for me. After all, it is true that we are among the youngest players, but we have been playing golf practically all our lives. That’s 16 years, something like that. So we have a lot of preparation, a lot of tournaments that we have played. Yes, I think we are prepared and mature enough to compete against these guys.
-Can you tell us about the two young men and how they have progressed since you saw them here at LIV?
-ABRAHAM ANCER: Well, these chic
os are very talented. In the training rounds and as a team, we played some very good, very intense games. They are not afraid. They play very aggressively and have a lot of confidence, and I think all the young guys coming out of college now are not afraid to win. It doesn’t matter where you play. I think 10 or 20 years ago, when amateurs were coming to the big tours, it took a long time for them to win or to feel comfortable. I believe that now, when young people turn professional, they are ready to win and compete. It’s amazing to watch, and the amount of success they’ve already had, as young as they are, is incredible.
-SERGIO GARCIA: Yes, I totally agree. Obviously, as you said, they are young, but they are well prepared. Everybody coming out of college or amateur golf seems more prepared than we are. It’s nice to see. They are two good guys. Obviously a lot of talent. Both can hit the ball very far and very well. We have a great time together and it’s fun to watch them grow with us as we go along. It has been a good experience.
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