Sergio Garcia is back in the winner’s circle. After going winless for all of 2018, the Spaniard raced to a dominating 4-shot victory in his home country this weekend at the Valderrama Masters. Here’s everything you need to know about the event.
54 holes is plenty
If you’re looking for a fourth round scorecard from Garcia, you won’t find one. The event was reduced to just 54 holes after weather caused delay after delay. It was Garcia’s second 18 holes that became the difference between him and the field. Garcia’s second round 64 was two strokes better than any other round in the event this week.
Host with the most
Garcia was the host this week, with the event benefiting the Sergio Garcia Foundation. Despite struggling for much of the 2018 calendar year, Garcia showed out for the third straight time at Valderrama. He’s now won each of the last three years at the event, reminding us all that it’s never okay to doubt Sergio, especially at Valderrama. The win pushed him back into the top 30 in the world golf ranking.
Words from our champion ??@TheSergioGarcia #ValderramaMasters pic.twitter.com/LKGrLGNzLb
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) October 22, 2018
Job security
While the race for the win wasn’t as climactic as it could have been, European Tour cards were at stake for many in Spain. Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño and Richie Ramsay each played their way into the top 110 on the European Tour’s Race to Dubai standings, both securing their tour membership for another season.
Closer to the money
The Race to Dubai has just four events remaining on the schedule. The top 10 finishers in the year-long race all grab a share of the $5 million pot, with the winner claiming $1.25 million himself. Garcia’s win pushed him to 25th from 41st in the standings.
