The three-time champion of the Andalucía Valderrama Masters was ecstatic after his victory today at the famous golf course in Cadiz. “Despite how much I like this course and how well I like it,” said Sergio Garcia, “I never thought I could win three times, especially after so many second places [en el Volvo Masters]. People may think that just by coming here they have won, but it is not like that. Valderrama is very demanding and I feel fortunate to play the way I have played. These three wins and so many other good weeks mean a lot to me.”
“Valderrama is my favorite course because it demands all aspects of your game. It’s not the typical course that we play many weeks where you don’t even need to look at the book and just hit the drive as hard as you can. Valderrama makes you play every club in the bag every day, there are not many courses like that nowadays.”
“You have to give value to second places because they mean very good tournaments. People only look at victories, but giving yourself options to win is not easy. I am proud to be Spanish and to represent Spain the best I can. If we can give satisfaction to the Spanish public like other athletes such as Marc Márquez, Fernando Alonso, the Spanish national team, Rafa Nadal or Pau Gasol, it’s always nice.
“The season started to pick up in Greensboro. I changed the shafts on the Callaway woods and that helped me a lot, it gave me extra confidence. My game is based a lot on how I hit it off the tee. If I do it right, my game is usually good. Also, the work I had been doing all year was paying off. There are three more tournaments left and we have to continue in that line, with the same attitude, enjoying not only golf but also my girls. Let’s hope we are healthy and we can stay on top for a long time”.
“There have been tough moments because it was a Ryder year and I could see it slipping away. That’s frustrating considering what it means to me. For about three months nothing was coming out. The only thing you can do in those cases is to keep working. Fortunately I have a wife, a daughter and a family who always support me. Thanks to that, we are now in a better situation.
“My older brother Victor is caddying because I wanted to have someone close to me and because I wanted to make my own decisions. Obviously, we look at distances together, but when it comes to picking up the club I don’t ask if I don’t have doubts. I don’t always get it right, but it helps me to make my own decisions and trust my own feeling. It’s nice to have a family member around to support you and he’s a good golfer, he knows what he’s doing. We’ve done pretty well and at the end of the year we’ll see what we’ll do next season”.
“It is very emotional to win in front of my daughter for the first time, I have been trying for a long time. It’s also important for Angela who has been a great support. Winning at Valderrama makes it even more special.”
“We are working to grow the tournament. Valderrama and the Foundation deserve something more than what we have at the moment in terms of dates, prizes and participation. There are a couple of negotiations that, if they work out, will allow us to reach the level it should have. This course is the Augusta of Europe. It is the best course we have in Europe, not only for the quality but also for how it is always presented and how we are treated. It deserves more than what it has at the moment. If things are done the way they should be done, on better dates, I will be here next year with better players. Things are on the right track.
“On the 13th tee I knew Shane Lowry was -9 and the bogey there didn’t help. I tried to concentrate on what I wanted to do. Since yesterday I went out with the mentality of making three under par and I was very close. The combination of the birdie on the 14th and the double bogey on the 15th helped me to play the last few holes calmer and more conservative. Probably the second shot on the 14th hole was the most complicated because I had the wind at my back and the flag at the back. I had to bounce back and not make too much backspin. I hit a very good wedge from 133 yards.
“It’s incredible how the course has been with all that has fallen, everyone in Valderrama has to be proud. It’s not something new, we already had it in the 97 Ryder. Thanks to the fact that the tournament was held at Valderrama, we were able to play and play well. On any other course we would be up to our necks in mud. It was soft, but you never stepped in mud. The fairways were great and so were the greens, at a good speed”.
The top twenty of the Andalucía Valderrama Masters also included Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño (-4), tied for fifth, Alejandro Cañizares (-1) and Álvaro Quirós (-1).
“I am very happy with the result, it has been a very long week. Considering all that was at stake I was quite calm. I had a feeling it was going to happen. There are moments when you have a bad time, especially today, but I am happy to get the best result of the season when I needed it,” said Gonzalo.
“As the head of the Valderrama locker room said yesterday, this course was designed for Sergio even though he was not born. It is a course that adapts to his phenomenal game, a course that he knows, that he loves and, above all, the turning point this year has been the choice of Thomas Bjørn for the Ryder Cup, that little push he needed”, added the Spaniard.
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