"It was love at first shot" - Sergio Garcia answers burning questions about Real Club ahead of LIV Valderrama
The LIV Golf Series is headed to the Real Club Valderrama in Spain next, and for Sergio Garcia, it is a rather familiar course. His history with the course has seen him tee up for fifteen events, of which he finished top 10 in all but one. This also includes three wins that he picked up at the Andalucía Masters in 2011, 2016, and 2017.
The Valderrama is considered to be one of the best golf courses in all of Europe, and as captain of Fireballs GC, Sergio Garcia will look to add to his list of spectacular performances there.
Speaking about how he took to the course the very first time he played on it, Garcia said via LIV Golf:
“Yeah, from the beginning, from the first time I played. Just amazing shape. It was love at first shot. I love Valderrama."
Valderrama looks ready for #LIVGolf https://t.co/VyNCbrW0HB
Needless to say, the Valderrama is Sergio Garcia's favorite golf course in the world. However, some others do not seem to like it as much. For him, the course makes him use every club in his bag and is a real display of technique.
"For me, I just love that even though it's not a long course – it's a 7,000-yard, par 71 – it makes you think, and it makes you hit every club in the bag. That's something I think good courses do. Good courses are asking you to think about what you want to do and, and they're making you hit pretty much every club you have in the bag," Garcia said.
Sergio Garcia's key insights into scoring well on the course
Garcia said that if he were to ever design a course, it would be similar to the Valderrama. The key to success at the golf course is to find the right spots to put the ball in. It is a game of patience according to Garcia. If a golfer can stay focused and find the right spots, it is a good course to score one.
When asked about his favorite hole to play, Garcia said:
“Hmm, good question. I think the fourth hole [564-yard par 5] is great. t's just a solid par 5, Like I was saying, it makes you think. If you hit a good tee shot, you can go for it, but there’s not a lot of room, so you have to be very precise with your second shot. And it’s a beautiful hole, with the water and the little waterfall behind it and everything. It's very picturesque.”