The Andalucía Valderrama Masters, the last scoring event of the European Tour to be played on the continent before the Tour travels to China, South Africa and Dubai, will have an unbeatable host, the Masters champion, Sergio García, through his Foundation.
Sergio is in love with Valderrama, “a very special place, one of my favorite courses, one of the best courses in the world where I always feel very comfortable and of which I have very good memories, especially when I won in 2011,” he says.
The Spaniard is delighted to be back as host in a rounded season, in which he has won his first major, the Augusta Masters and victory in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. “I was very happy when they told me that we were returning to play the Andalucía Valderrama Masters and that they were counting on my Foundation. I’m sure it’s going to be a great tournament and, as host, I encourage all the fans to come and enjoy it, because it will be very nice to see all the Spanish players in such a special setting.
“The course is always in excellent condition, the greens are fast and the maintenance is impeccable. Last year, when we played the Spanish Open, we noticed a lot of difference due to the pruning of the cork oaks, which no longer intervene so much in the game, especially on holes 8, 13 and 18.
“I like all the holes at Valderrama: each one has its attraction. It’s a course that demands a lot from you and doesn’t allow you a break, it makes you think and keep your concentration from the moment you stand on the tee to the last hole. You have to put the ball in the right place and it requires patience, you know you are going to make some mistakes but they should be the minimum. I think we all play it with a lot of respect”.
Sergio and Valderrama form a successful tandem as shown by the excellent results he has always achieved at the San Roque course. He was seventh in the 1999 World Golf Championship American Express and fifth the following year, seventh in the 2002 and 2003 Volvo Masters, second in three consecutive editions from 2004 to 2006, thirty-fourth in 2007 and fourth in the 2008 Volvo Masters; eleventh in the inaugural edition of the Andalucía Masters in 2010, winner in 2011 and third in the 2016 Open de España.
“Last year, at the Open de España, I gave myself another chance to win and, although I didn’t succeed, I left with a good feeling because I tried until the end. I gave it my all,” he recalls. The Sergio García Foundation managed to raise 65,480 euros for the Spanish Cancer Association of Castellón during the tournament. “I was very proud to see the posters of my Foundation around the course. Quite a lot of people came and we had many visitors to our stand; I have to thank everyone, the money we raised was dedicated to renting apartments for relatives of cancer patients who receive treatment far from their homes and who want to accompany them in such complicated circumstances.”
Sergio García set up his Foundation in 2002 with the support of his family and a clear objective, “to contribute to the social integration of economically disadvantaged children and young people through social assistance and the practice of sports as a leisure activity”. Since then, he has collaborated on a regular or occasional basis with various initiatives and organizations that help people with special needs. In 2003, it introduced Adapted Golf in Spain together with the Fundación Deporte y Desafío and in collaboration with the Royal Spanish Golf Federation and the regional federations, with the aim of bringing this sport closer to people with physical and intellectual disabilities in order to achieve their integration into society.
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