Sergio Garcia triumphed in the 2011 Andalucia Masters by one shot from compatriot and friend Miguel Angel Jiménez. Here, in an excerpt from The European Tour Yearbook 2012, we recap how the Spaniard made it consecutive wins on home soil at Valderrama.
Sergio Garcia’s amazing resurgence continued when, only a week after claiming the Castelló Masters at his home course, he became the first Spanish golfer to win a stroke play tournament at the famed Club de Golf Valderrama with a battling triumph in the Andalucia Masters.
The 31 year old had endured the agony of being runner-up at the Sotogrande venue in 2004, 2005 and 2006 when the course played host to The European Tour season-ending Volvo Masters, but this time he put matters right with a closing level par 71 for a six under par total of 278 and a one shot winning margin over his fellow countryman Miguel Angel Jiménez.
Seven days previously, Garcia had coasted to an 11 shot win in Castellón, but this was always going to be closer. Into the final round, birdies at the 11th and 14th, allied to Jiménez’s bogeys at the 13th and 15th put Garcia three shots clear but Jiménez showed his battling qualities with birdies at the 16th and 17th to close the gap to one.
Another birdie at the 18th looked on the cards for the 47 year old when he found the fairway and green but he left his 15 foot putt agonisingly short. Garcia, in the final match behind, found the greenside fringe with his approach but bravely got up and down to triumph.
The win also saw Garcia become the first player since José María Olazábal in the 1992 Tenerife Open and the Open Mediterrania to win back-to-back events on Spanish soil.
To order your copy of The European Tour Yearbook 2012, a 240-page, full colour hardback Official Publication with iconic pictures by Getty Images and essays from some of the game's top writers that takes you every step of the way through 52 tournaments and 29 destinations on The 2011 Race to Dubai, click here.
