Andalucía preview: Garcia set to rekindle his love affair with Valderrama
SOTOGRANDE, Spain – Fireballs GC Captain Sergio Garcia will be looking to make a triumphant return home when LIV Golf Andalucía is played this week at his all-time favorite golf course, Real Club Valderrama.
It will be homecoming for three Fireballs team members, with Eugenio Chacarra Lopez and David Puig also hailing from Spain, while Mexico’s Spanish-speaking Abraham Ancer is keen to play his role as the ‘adopted son’ to perfection.
Seven of Garcia’s 36 worldwide wins have come in Spain, and three of them were in Valderrama. One of the most demanding golf courses in Continental Europe, it suits the mercurial ball-striker to a tee, and his record seconds that.
A title on LIV Golf has eluded Garcia so far, but there has been enough indication this year that he is on the verge of changing that. He has already endured the heartbreak of two playoff losses in 2024 – to Joaquin Niemann in Mayakoba and Dean Burmester in Miami.
But if there is any truth in ‘horses for courses’, Garcia and Valderrama seem made for each other. He has been runner-up here three times in Volvo Masters, and has won the Andalucía Masters three times.
Not only does he have intimate knowledge of the subtleties of the Robert Trent Jones-designed masterpiece, Garcia will also be guaranteed raucous support by his doting home fans.
“It feels amazing. Obviously, every time we come back to Spain, it feels really, really good… home country for all four of us, I would say. We’re ‘taking’ Abe in the Spanish spirit,” said Garcia, who is currently 7th in the season-long Individual Standings.
“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, and because of all the amazing things that have happened here on this golf course. We’re really excited about it.
“I just love the way the golf course plays. It’s not a long course, but it makes you think on every single tee shot, every single shot into the greens. It’s probably one of the few courses that probably makes you use every single club you have in the bag. We don’t get to see that that often in some of the newer designs. In my personal opinion, that’s what makes a great golf course.
“That’s just one of the reasons. The area is amazing, and we get such amazing support from Andalucía and all the sponsors.”
Despite his stunning record on the golf course, Garcia wasn’t ready to take anything for granted.
“It would be amazing (to win here). It would be a dream come true, for sure,” said the 2017 Masters champion. “But I know how difficult it is. We know the quality of the field that we have. It’s never going to be a given.
“But that’s the goal, to play well, play consistently, give myself a chance, help my teammates as much as possible, and see if we can get a double. Obviously, that would be the dream week.
It’s just a matter of going out there and doing your best. That’s all you can ask yourself for.”
Ancer, winner of LIV Golf Hong Kong, was clearly feeling the love even though thousand of miles away from Mexico.
“It feels really nice. I truly feel like they've taken me as one of their own,” said Ancer, who qualified for the 152nd Open Championship next week at Royal Troon.
“It’s a golf course that we all love. I feel like everybody in this field is really excited to tee it up this week, as we should be. This is an absolute gem.
“I think the crowd is definitely going to be behind us. I think Jon (Rahm) is going to have a following, as well. But it's going to be phenomenal.”
As a team, Fireballs are yet to win this season, and despite back-to-back second-place finishes in Singapore and Houston, they are eighth in the season-long standing.