Sergio Garcia reveals why Sanderson Farms win was so emotionally charged

Sergio Garcia’s win at the Sanderson Farms Championship was an emotional one. The victory was the first on the PGA Tour since his epic 2017 Masters title and the first since he became a father not long after. Those were reasons enough for elation for the Garcia clan, but in his post-round interview, he shared why this win holds more meaning than many others.

“It’s been tough because I lost two uncles because of Covid,” Garcia said. “It’s been tough for my dad. This one was for him.”

Garcia has lots of family in Madrid, the capital city of Spain that has been particularly hard-hit by the coronavirus pandemic. To date, the country has recorded over 800,000 cases of the virus and 32,000 deaths. Two of Garcia’s uncles are among the victims. Of his father’s eight siblings, two of them died due to Covid-19 complications; one back in the spring, and one just two weeks ago. They were both on the mind of the Spaniard as he came down the stretch at the Country Club of Jackson.

“You know, it’s sad,” Garcia said. ” I know that a lot of families have lost a lot more people, but you never want to lose anyone like that. I wanted to win this for them.”

Garcia secured the victory thanks to a pair of stone-cold ball-striking moments coming down the stretch. The first, a 3-wood from 260 yards out on the par-5 14th to set up a short eagle putt, tied him for the lead.

The second came on the 18th as the Spaniard walked up the closing fairway tied for the lead. From 172 yards out, he pulled an 8-iron — the same club he used to set up a pivotal eagle on the back nine of his Masters victory — and hit a shot that never left the flag. The ball settled within two feet of the cup and sealed the win for Garcia.

“It’s pretty sweet. There’s no doubt,” Garcia said. “I was fortunate enough to win a couple of times in Europe so Azalea could see it. Now both Azalea and Enzo can see me win here in the U.S., which is amazing. It’s great.”