Sergio García has been proclaimed winner of the second edition of the Andalucía Masters with a round of Par, 278 strokes (-6) in an exciting duel with Miguel Ángel Jiménez, second by one stroke. Nobody better than him -three times second in this course- to break the “curse” of the Spaniards in Valderrama. With this victory, the second in a row, Sergio Garcia is once again among the top 20 players in the world and heads the points list of the European Ryder Cup team.
The first and expected Spanish victory in Valderrama has come in a day full of emotion in which the public has turned to encourage the Spaniards. More than 40,000 people have vibrated with golf this week at the Andalucia Masters. Behind Sergio and Miguel Ángel was the Scottish Richie Ramsay (-4) and Alejandro Cañizares was seventh (Par).
Sergio started today with a two-stroke lead but it was Miguel Angel Jimenez who took the lead with birdies on two and three, neutralizing the difference. Jimenez missed on the fifth and Sergio made bogeys on the sixth and seventh, leaving the player from Malaga in the lead of the Andalucia Masters.
They were not the only ones in the fight, Scotland’s Richie Ramsay, Ireland’s Shane Lowrie and England’s Steve Webster also hovered at the top of the tournament. Sergio reacted on the 11th with a birdie and took the lead again after Miguel Angel’s bogey on the 13th. A new hit by Sergio on the 14th and a new mistake by Miguel on the 15th put the Spaniard in the lead by two strokes over Webster with three holes to go.
Pisha” was not ready to throw in the towel. On the 16th he made a great birdie and on the 17th, after a masterful stroke with wood from the fairway, he left a putt of about four meters for eagle, but the player from Malaga has had an unlucky day on the greens and had to settle for a birdie. Jiménez tried again on the 18th but did not holed the putt that would have tied the Castellón native.
The tension did not cease on the 18th. Sergio’s second shot ended up in the rouhg around the green, and the player from Borriol had to hit the approach and one-meter putt to secure the victory.
The victory in the Andalucía Masters is Sergio García’s tenth on the European Tour, half of them achieved on Spanish soil: Open de España 2002, Mallorca Classic 2004, Castelló Masters 2008 and 2011. With it, he is once again among the top 20 players in the world and confirms that he is definitely back among the elite of world golf.
Sergio is also at the top of the list of points to make the European Ryder Cup team, his main objective for next year.
Sergio Garcia, 71 strokes, 6 under par: “I’m happy, I’m speechless.
It was a very special victory in a very special field. It was very nice and even nicer the way it happened, with Miguel Ángel pushing me and trying to win or get into the play-offs. The people who came to watch us also had a great time and enjoyed the game a lot, not only with Miguel Ángel, but also with me.
Last week in Castellón was very different; there, when I got to the 17th tee, I thought that if I didn’t break my leg nothing would stop me from winning. However, Valderrama is very complicated, and you have to be playing well not to go 4, 5 or 6 strokes and you have to be very strong and trust in yourself. In the first 9 holes I felt a little bit of doubt and it took me a couple of strokes; however, from the 8th we played at a very good level, despite the pressure. It was very nice, making approach and putt on the last hole the way I did, it was very good.
On the 18th, before the putt I thought: ‘let’s see if you putt it and win and if not, play-off with Miguel Ángel, but surely a Spaniard is going to win this year’. Once I made the putt I felt relaxed, despite the intensity. At that moment people who are with you, who support you, come to your mind. I felt a lot of emotions in a very short time.
Every victory is special and beautiful but this one, because of my history with Valderrama, is a little bit more special. Valderrama is one of my favorite courses and winning here is a plus.
It was a pity that today Miguel Angel and I could not play together. Yesterday we both played at a very high level; unfortunately, the bogey on the 15th and the three birdies he didn’t manage to get in the second round made him go out in the second game. It would have been nice and there’s no telling what would have happened.
When I was leaving the 16th green, I heard a shout and I thought Miguel must have hit a good second shot and when I got to mine, I saw him short of the flag, and I also thought that maybe he had left it too short and almost made an eagle and had it for birdie. He must have made a spectacular stroke to leave it short of the flag. I can see that he is putting, he doesn’t make it and he makes the short putt. It was a pity because if the putt had been a little looser, it would surely have gone in.
On the 18th is where I had doubts, I didn’t know if I had made par or birdie, or par or bogey, because I had left it next to me again. Anyway, my mentality didn’t change, because I had to make par if I had to, or to win by one or two. I tried to hit it the best I could and it went a little to the left, but when I saw on the green that Miguel had made par and had stayed at -5, my goal was to make an approach and putt and if not, to go to play-off.
Today’s round was very good, especially how I played from hole 9 onwards. Apart from my worst putt of the week on the 6th hole and then a good bogey on the 7th, the truth is that I made very good putts on the 12th, the 13th, the birdie on the 14th, a good three on the next hole and the two pars on the last two. It’s nice to see that you are able to do that, even with the pressure and in a complicated course like Valderrama.
Today on the 15th hole I didn’t know how Miguel and Ramsay were doing, if they were within three or not, and I thought about a 4 iron, to put it in the center and make a good three. I didn’t expect them to make bogey. But there were still three holes left, which are very hard and if you don’t hit the right shots it costs a lot. I think the putt on the 16th was key.
As for my possible participation in the Ryder Cup, Chema knows how important it is for me and I could not have had a better start to try to get into the team, but this does not mean that I am already there. I don’t want to be chosen, because it would put Chema in a complicated situation and I want to be in the team on my own merits”.
Miguel Angel Jimenez, 70 strokes, 279 (-5): “Putting has been bugging me all week, my game has been fantastic, but the putting hasn’t even been decent.
I want to congratulate Sergio, he won in Castellón and now in Valderrama, he deserves it. Finally a Spaniard has won at Valderrama, it was about time, I would have liked it to be me, it was very important for me to win this week in front of my people, but it couldn’t be.
The public has been impressive, especially with Sergio and me, we have felt their support at all times, it has been a magnificent weather, it is very good to play like this.
I can’t complain about second place in a tournament like the Andalucía Masters, which will help me climb up the world rankings and ensure I play in the Majors next year”.
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