Sergio Garcia gained LIV Golf Andalucia in his house nation of Spain for his first skilled victory since 2020.
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Sergio Garcia’s final skilled victory got here 1,379 days in the past as he prevailed over Peter Malnati on the 2020 Sanderson Farms Championship. As he performed the ultimate gap of LIV Golf Andalucia, it appeared as if that drought would proceed.
Anirban Lahiri held a one-stroke lead over Garcia as the sector performed their closing gap at Valderrama Sunday afternoon, and after three strong pictures, simply 18 inches separated the 37-year-old from his first LIV Golf victory. Then, the unthinkable occurred.
After Lahiri’s potential successful putt spun out of the outlet, he rapidly tapped in for bogey and chuckled to himself as he plucked the ball out of the cup.
“That was nothing however nerves,” mentioned LIV analyst Jerry Foltz.
Lahiri’s loss was Garcia’s acquire. With Lahiri making bogey on the ultimate gap for a final-round 73, the 2 males headed to a playoff to resolve the person crown.
After every artificial par on the primary sudden-death gap, Garcia made par (with Lahiri carding double) on the second gap to say the title.
“I really like this place,” Garcia mentioned. “I really like these folks. So grateful to everybody for what we have been capable of obtain immediately.”
The win is Garcia’s first on the LIV Golf circuit and erases his winless report in playoffs on the Saudi-backed tour. He had beforehand misplaced in all three prior sudden-death playoffs, most not too long ago at LIV Golf Miami again in April.
This victory additionally marks Garcia’s fourth at Valderrama as he had beforehand gained the Andalucía Valderrama Masters in 2011, 2017 and 2018.
“I’m very fortunate, I really feel it each time wherever I am going, however clearly on my house turf and right here at Valderrama the place I’ve finished so nicely, I at all times really feel it,” Garcia mentioned. “That’s one of many major the explanation why I really like enjoying right here. Not solely the problem and the fantastic thing about the course however the assist that we get right here, it’s wonderful.”
