Sergio García
Encyclopedia
Sergio García Fernández (born 9 January 1980) is a Spanish professional golfer
who plays on both the United States PGA Tour
and the European Tour. He has spent much of his career in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings
(over 300 weeks between 2000 and 2009). He reached a career high ranking of two after winning the HSBC Champions
tournament in November 2008.
. He followed that with a win in the Boys Amateur Championship
in 1997. He won a professional tournament, the 1997 Catalonian Open, on the European Challenge Tour, as an amateur. In 1998 he won The Amateur Championship
, and reached the semifinals of the U.S. Amateur.
. He first achieved worldwide prominence with a duel against Tiger Woods
in the 1999 PGA Championship
, where he eventually finished second. Late in the final round, García hit his most famous shot: with his ball up against a tree trunk in the right rough on the 16th hole, and the green hidden from view, he swung hard with his eyes shut and hit a low curving fade that ran up onto the green. As the shot traveled, he sprinted madly into the fairway and then scissor-kick jumped to see the result. Shortly afterwards he became the youngest player ever to compete in the Ryder Cup
.
When García first turned professional, he had an unorthodox swing with a loop and large lag, and this method drew comparisons to the legendary Ben Hogan
, one of the best players of all time. But during the 2003 season, he worked towards making his swing more conventional, but has largely kept his original method. In his early years, he repeatedly gripped, released, and regripped his hands on the club handle before finally taking a shot. This "waggle" habit created a stir, especially at the 2002 U.S. Open
when some spectators shouted out, "Hit the ball, Sergio!", and some people audibly counted the number of regrips into the twenties. Since then he has eliminated the habit. Responding to criticism of his swing, he said, "My swing works for me, so why should I change it? I prefer to have a natural swing and play well rather than a perfect swing and not be able to play good."
and then won again at the Buick Classic the same year. He was the youngest Tour winner since Woods in 1996 at age 20. In 2002, he won the Mercedes Championships, and in 2004, he won the EDS Byron Nelson Championship
and the Buick Classic for the second time. His sixth PGA Tour victory came at the 2005 Booz Allen Classic
. He also plays a limited schedule on the European Tour, where he has won nine times. In 2002, during a practice round, García made an albatross (double eagle) on the par-5 second hole at the Masters, one of the few players to have ever done so. On the 575-yard hole at the Augusta National Golf Club
, he holed a 253-yard 2-iron following a 325-yard drive.
team in 1999, 2002, 2004, 2006, and 2008 and holds an impressive career record at the Ryder Cup of 14–6–4. As three of his appearances have resulted in overall victories, his input in the team has proved invaluable. He had risen into the top five of the Official World Golf Rankings
, but after an inconsistent 2006 season, he dropped out of the top 10.
In the 2006 Ryder Cup
, at the K Club in Ireland
, García won both his fourball and foursome matches (with José María Olazábal
and Luke Donald
, respectively) on day one, beating David Toms
and Brett Wetterich
in the fourballs and Tiger Woods
and Jim Furyk
in the foursomes. On day two, he paired up with Olazábal again, who won both their matches against Phil Mickelson
and Chris DiMarco
in both the foursomes and fourballs. Going into the final day in the singles, García was heavily tipped to be the first person to win all their matches in one Ryder Cup; however, Stewart Cink
beat him 4 and 3. Europe won the cup again, with 18½ points to the United States' 9½ points.
after three-putting. After missing the cut of the first two major championships in 2007, García found success at The Open Championship
-– his favorite of the four majors -– at Carnoustie Golf Links
. He held the lead after each one of the first three rounds and carried a three-shot lead over Steve Stricker
and a six-shot lead over the rest of the field into the start of the fourth day. At an early stage of the last round, he had extended the lead to four shots, but bogeys at the 5th, 7th, and 8th holes brought him back to the field. On the final challenging hole, he needed a par to win, but failed to get up and down from the greenside bunker. The last putt on the 18th hole on Sunday, from about eight feet, would have given him his first professional major. He missed it by a fraction and faced a playoff with Pádraig Harrington
that he eventually lost by one stroke. In his post-round news conference, García seemed to suggest that bad breaks had cost him the championship. During the playoff, on the long par-3 16th hole, his tee shot hit the flagstick but then bounced 20 feet from the pin, off the green, and García could not convert for birdie. "It's not the first time, unfortunately," he stated. "I don't know... I'm playing against a lot of guys out there, more than the field." In the 2007 PGA Championship
, he was disqualified after signing an incorrect scorecard after the third round.
on the PGA Tour in a playoff against Paul Goydos
. On the first playoff hole, the 17th, Goydos hit a pitching wedge that ballooned and fell inches short of the green and into the water, while García played a sand wedge to within four feet of the hole. Goydos made double bogey while García made par for the win.
, played over the South Course of Oakland Hills Country Club
, he narrowly missed out winning his first professional major championship yet again. Like at the 2007 Open Championship, Pádraig Harrington
was able to erase a García lead on the back nine to take the title. García would finish two strokes back for his second runner-up finish at the PGA Championship
. His most serious mistake during the final round was misjudging his second shot on the 16th, playing into a strong wind, which found the water in front of the par-4 hole's green, costing him sole ownership of the lead. Regarding another near-miss in a major championship, García stated, "I felt like I responded well, and he was obviously very good on the back nine, and things just happened his way."
at his home course, the Club de Campo del Mediterráneo
in Castellón, Spain. With this win, he rose to a career high of third in the Official World Golf Rankings
. He dedicated the victory to compatriot Seve Ballesteros, who was recovering from multiple operations on a brain tumor
. He won the 2008 HSBC Champions
, the opening event on the 2009 European Tour season on 9 November 2008 in a playoff over Oliver Wilson
. This win notched him up to a career high second in the Official World Golf Rankings
, replacing Phil Mickelson
in that spot, who had ironically won the HSBC Champions
in 2007. García earned more money than any other golfer in 2008, earning $6,979,959 in 26 events.
García announced he was taking a break from golf and would miss the 2010 Ryder Cup
. He also dropped out of the top 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings
. Struggles with the putter were the primary cause of his slump, since his ballstriking remained among the best in the world. On the 29 August 2010, European Ryder Cup
captain Colin Montgomerie
announced that García would be his fourth vice captain for the 2010 Ryder Cup
at Celtic manor.
García had to withdraw from qualifying for the 2011 British Open because of an infected finger. He had originally planned against qualifying for the 2011 U.S. Open
, where he was outside the top-50 in the OWGR and was not guaranteed automatic entry. He eventually earned a spot in the U.S. Open after being one of the top four at a qualifying tournament near Memphis. García played well in all four rounds of the U.S. Open, ending in a tie for seventh place at five-under par 279. Garcia finished tied for ninth place in The 2011 Open Championship at Royal St George's. This was his 17th career top-10 finish in a major.
In late June 2011, García almost broke his winless streak dating back to 2008, when he lost at the fifth sudden-death playoff hole to fellow Spaniard Pablo Larrazábal
at the BMW International Open
. García led the tournament after the 11th hole of the final round with a stunning stretch of holes, which saw him produce three birdies and two eagles in six holes, from holes six to eleven. However his charge to the finish was derailed by four bogeys in five holes, leaving him needing a birdie at the last to make the playoff. In the playoff, both players made consecutive birdies at the first two extra holes (both par 5s) before parring holes three and four (both par 3s). At the fifth extra hole, Garcia had a 30-foot eagle putt for the victory, but ran the effort four feet past the hole. The resulting putt lipped out, allowing Larrazábal to hole a two-foot birdie putt for the victory. Despite this, García ensured qualification for the 2011 Open Championship
at Royal St George's with his runner-up finish, through the current form money list exemption. García went on to finish tied for 9th place at the Open Championship, his best finish for four years. He continued the run at the 2011 PGA Championship
where he finished in a tie for 12th place, extending his streak to 50 consecutive majors played, the longest streak among active players.
In October 2011, García ended a three year title drought with back-to-back wins in his home country at the Castelló Masters and the Andalucía Masters. García won the Castelló Masters in dominant fashion, with a final score of 27-under-par, 11 strokes ahead of the field. It was the joint third highest victory margin on the European Tour, beaten only by Tiger Woods
' 15 stroke victory at the 2000 U.S. Open and Ernie Els
' 13 stroke win at the 2005 BMW Asian Open
. After the win, García dedicated it to the late Seve Ballesteros, stating "That was for Seve.".
The following week, García won the Andalucía Masters, played at the Club de Golf Valderrama
, arguably regarded as one of the toughest golf courses on the European Tour. He edged out fellow countryman Miguel Ángel Jiménez
by one shot after a tense final round.
Following his back-to-back wins, García moved back into the top 20 of the Official World Golf Ranking.
R. One of his most notable ex-girlfriends is former world number-one tennis
player Martina Hingis
, who helped him cope with the emotional side of the game. He has also had an on-and-off relationship with Greg Norman
's daughter, Morgan-Leigh Norman, a graduate of Boston College
; however, Garcia has confirmed the couple have now separated. However, García and Greg Norman are designing a new golf course in San Antonio.
Additionally, he keeps a close friendship with the Uruguay
an football player Diego Forlán
. They first met in Castelló when the latter was playing for the nearby La Liga
club Villarreal
. More recently, he has developed a close rapport with young Colombia
n star golfer Camilo Villegas
, with the two often dining together at night and ribbing one another . Also, Garcia has a close friendship with world tennis star Rafael Nadal
.
, and uses all TaylorMade equipment, and adidas shoes and clothing. His equipment setup is as follows:
There is also unofficial video documentation of a press conference where Snell speaks on the new TP balls while García demonstrates some shots.
PGA Tour playoff record (4–5)
European Tour playoff record (2–4)
LA = Low Amateur
DNP = did not play
CUT = missed the half way cut
"T" = tied
DQ = disqualified
Yellow background for top-10.
1Cancelled due to 9/11
DNP = Did not play
QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = tied
NT = No tournament
Yellow background for top-10.
Note that the HSBC Champions did not become a WGC event until 2009.
Professional
Professional golfer
In golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose his or her amateur status. A golfer who has lost his or her amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;...
who plays on both the United States PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
and the European Tour. He has spent much of his career in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings
Official World Golf Rankings
The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of male professional golfers...
(over 300 weeks between 2000 and 2009). He reached a career high ranking of two after winning the HSBC Champions
HSBC Champions
The WGC-HSBC Champions is a men's professional golf 72-hole tournament. It has been contested annually since 2005 in November at the Sheshan Golf Club in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. In April 2009 it was announced that the tournament had been awarded World Golf Championships status,...
tournament in November 2008.
Junior and amateur golf
García began playing golf at the age of three and was taught by his father, Victor, who is a club professional. He was a star player as a junior, winning his club championship at age 12. Four years later, he set a record as the youngest player to make the cut at a European Tour event, the 1995 Turespaña Open Mediterranea. This record was broken by amateur Jason Hak in November 2008 at the UBS Hong Kong Open, beating García's record by 107 days. Also in 1995, García became the youngest player to win the European AmateurEuropean Amateur
The European Amateur Championship is an annual amateur golf tournament. It is played at various locations throughout Europe. It is organized by the European Golf Association and was first played in 1986. The winner receives an invitation to The Open Championship.-Winners:-External links:***...
. He followed that with a win in the Boys Amateur Championship
Boys Amateur Championship
The Boys Amateur Championship is a golf tournament which is held annually in the United Kingdom. The competition is organised and run by The R&A-History:The Boy's Amateur Championship was first played at Royal Ascot in 1921...
in 1997. He won a professional tournament, the 1997 Catalonian Open, on the European Challenge Tour, as an amateur. In 1998 he won The Amateur Championship
The Amateur Championship
The Amateur Championship is a golf tournament which is held annually in the United Kingdom. It is one of the two leading individual tournaments for amateur golfers, alongside the U.S. Amateur...
, and reached the semifinals of the U.S. Amateur.
Early professional years
García turned professional in 1999 after shooting the lowest amateur score in the 1999 Masters Tournament. His first title on the European Tour came in his sixth start as a professional, in July 1999 at the Irish OpenIrish Open (golf)
The Irish Open is a professional golf tournament on the European Tour, currently played at the end of July or early August each year. The event has been played in many locations on the island; its current home is the Killarney Golf & Fishing Club in County Kerry in southwestern Ireland...
. He first achieved worldwide prominence with a duel against Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
in the 1999 PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...
, where he eventually finished second. Late in the final round, García hit his most famous shot: with his ball up against a tree trunk in the right rough on the 16th hole, and the green hidden from view, he swung hard with his eyes shut and hit a low curving fade that ran up onto the green. As the shot traveled, he sprinted madly into the fairway and then scissor-kick jumped to see the result. Shortly afterwards he became the youngest player ever to compete in the Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
.
When García first turned professional, he had an unorthodox swing with a loop and large lag, and this method drew comparisons to the legendary Ben Hogan
Ben Hogan
William Ben Hogan was an American golfer, generally considered one of the greatest players in the history of the game...
, one of the best players of all time. But during the 2003 season, he worked towards making his swing more conventional, but has largely kept his original method. In his early years, he repeatedly gripped, released, and regripped his hands on the club handle before finally taking a shot. This "waggle" habit created a stir, especially at the 2002 U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
when some spectators shouted out, "Hit the ball, Sergio!", and some people audibly counted the number of regrips into the twenties. Since then he has eliminated the habit. Responding to criticism of his swing, he said, "My swing works for me, so why should I change it? I prefer to have a natural swing and play well rather than a perfect swing and not be able to play good."
PGA Tour titles
García won his first PGA Tour tournament at age 21 at the 2001 MasterCard Colonial in Fort Worth, TexasFort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
and then won again at the Buick Classic the same year. He was the youngest Tour winner since Woods in 1996 at age 20. In 2002, he won the Mercedes Championships, and in 2004, he won the EDS Byron Nelson Championship
EDS Byron Nelson Championship
The HP Byron Nelson Championship is a golf tournament on the PGA Tour. The tournament is held in late April / early May at the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas in Irving, Texas, USA...
and the Buick Classic for the second time. His sixth PGA Tour victory came at the 2005 Booz Allen Classic
Booz Allen Classic
The Booz Allen Classic was a regular golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 1968 to 2006.Perhaps more so than any other "regular" PGA Tour stop, the event wandered about, not just from course to course within a given metropolitan area, but along the East Coast...
. He also plays a limited schedule on the European Tour, where he has won nine times. In 2002, during a practice round, García made an albatross (double eagle) on the par-5 second hole at the Masters, one of the few players to have ever done so. On the 575-yard hole at the Augusta National Golf Club
Augusta National Golf Club
Augusta National Golf Club, located in Augusta, Georgia, is a famous men's golf club. Founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts and designed by Alister MacKenzie on the site of a former indigo plantation, the club opened for play in January 1933. Since 1934, it has played host to the annual...
, he holed a 253-yard 2-iron following a 325-yard drive.
Ryder Cup star
García was a member of the European Ryder CupRyder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
team in 1999, 2002, 2004, 2006, and 2008 and holds an impressive career record at the Ryder Cup of 14–6–4. As three of his appearances have resulted in overall victories, his input in the team has proved invaluable. He had risen into the top five of the Official World Golf Rankings
Official World Golf Rankings
The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of male professional golfers...
, but after an inconsistent 2006 season, he dropped out of the top 10.
2006 Ryder Cup
The 36th Ryder Cup Matches were held 22–24 September 2006 at the K Club, Straffan, Co. Kildare, Ireland. Team Europe won the competition by a score of 18½ to 9½ points, equalling their record winning margin of 2 years earlier. This was the first time Europe had achieved three successive victories...
, at the K Club in Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, García won both his fourball and foursome matches (with José María Olazábal
José María Olazábal
José María Olazábal Manterola is a Spanish professional golfer who has enjoyed success on both the European Tour and the PGA Tour, and has won two major championships.-Career outline:...
and Luke Donald
Luke Donald
Luke Campbell Donald is an English professional golfer who is the current World Number One. He plays mainly on the U.S. based PGA Tour but is also a member of the European Tour. In 2006 he reached the top ten in the Official World Golf Rankings for the first time in his career. In January 2007, he...
, respectively) on day one, beating David Toms
David Toms
David Wayne Toms is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He has won a total of thirteen events on the PGA Tour including the 2001 PGA Championship...
and Brett Wetterich
Brett Wetterich
Brett Milton Wetterich is an American professional golfer.Wetterich was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. He attended Oak Hills High School and Wallace State Community College...
in the fourballs and Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
and Jim Furyk
Jim Furyk
James Michael Furyk is an American professional golfer, 2010 FedEx Cup champion, and 2010 PGA Tour Player of the Year. He has won one major championship, the 2003 U.S. Open. Furyk is known for consistently playing at the top level and for a visibly unconventional, looping golf swing...
in the foursomes. On day two, he paired up with Olazábal again, who won both their matches against Phil Mickelson
Phil Mickelson
Philip Alfred Mickelson is an American professional golfer. He has won four major championships and a total of 39 events on the PGA Tour. He has reached a career high world ranking of 2nd in multiple years. He is nicknamed "Lefty" for his left-handed swing, even though he is otherwise right-handed...
and Chris DiMarco
Chris DiMarco
Christian Dean DiMarco is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. DiMarco has won seven tournaments as a pro, including three PGA Tour events.-Early years:...
in both the foursomes and fourballs. Going into the final day in the singles, García was heavily tipped to be the first person to win all their matches in one Ryder Cup; however, Stewart Cink
Stewart Cink
Stewart Ernest Cink is an American professional golfer who won the 2009 Open Championship. He has spent over 40 weeks in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings from 2004 to 2009.-Early years and education:...
beat him 4 and 3. Europe won the cup again, with 18½ points to the United States' 9½ points.
Near-misses at majors
Earlier in 2007, García had encountered criticism when he spit in the cup during the WGC-CA ChampionshipWGC-CA Championship
The WGC-Cadillac Championship is one of the four annual World Golf Championships tournaments for male professional golfers. It is sanctioned and organized by the International Federation of PGA Tours and the prize money is official money on both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
after three-putting. After missing the cut of the first two major championships in 2007, García found success at The Open Championship
2007 Open Championship
The 2007 Open Championship was the 136th Open Championship, played 19-22 July at Carnoustie Golf Links. Pádraig Harrington of Ireland defeated Sergio García of Spain in a playoff to take the title and his first major championship...
-– his favorite of the four majors -– at Carnoustie Golf Links
Carnoustie Golf Links
The Carnoustie Golf Links are in Carnoustie, Angus, Scotland. Its historic championship golf course is one of the venues in the Open Championship rotation.-History:...
. He held the lead after each one of the first three rounds and carried a three-shot lead over Steve Stricker
Steve Stricker
Steven Stricker is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He has won 11 tournaments on the PGA Tour including the 2001 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship and two FedEx Cup playoff events. His most successful season on tour came in 2009, when he had three tournament victories...
and a six-shot lead over the rest of the field into the start of the fourth day. At an early stage of the last round, he had extended the lead to four shots, but bogeys at the 5th, 7th, and 8th holes brought him back to the field. On the final challenging hole, he needed a par to win, but failed to get up and down from the greenside bunker. The last putt on the 18th hole on Sunday, from about eight feet, would have given him his first professional major. He missed it by a fraction and faced a playoff with Pádraig Harrington
Padraig Harrington
Pádraig P. Harrington is an Irish professional golfer who plays on The European Tour and The PGA Tour. He has won three major championships: The Open Championship in 2007 and 2008 and the PGA Championship, also in 2008.-Background:...
that he eventually lost by one stroke. In his post-round news conference, García seemed to suggest that bad breaks had cost him the championship. During the playoff, on the long par-3 16th hole, his tee shot hit the flagstick but then bounced 20 feet from the pin, off the green, and García could not convert for birdie. "It's not the first time, unfortunately," he stated. "I don't know... I'm playing against a lot of guys out there, more than the field." In the 2007 PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...
, he was disqualified after signing an incorrect scorecard after the third round.
Wins The Players Championship
On 11 May 2008, García won The Players ChampionshipThe Players Championship
The Players Championship is an annual golf tournament on the PGA Tour.Originally known as the Tournament Players Championship, the inaugural event in 1974 was played at Atlanta Country Club in Marietta, Georgia before moving to the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas in 1975 and Inverrary...
on the PGA Tour in a playoff against Paul Goydos
Paul Goydos
Paul David Goydos is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour.-Early life:...
. On the first playoff hole, the 17th, Goydos hit a pitching wedge that ballooned and fell inches short of the green and into the water, while García played a sand wedge to within four feet of the hole. Goydos made double bogey while García made par for the win.
More major frustration
At the 2008 PGA Championship2008 PGA Championship
The 2008 PGA Championship was the 90th PGA Championship played from August 7 through August 10 at the South Course of Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, with a purse of $7.5 million. It was the first major championship contested at Oakland Hills in twelve years, since the...
, played over the South Course of Oakland Hills Country Club
Oakland Hills Country Club
Oakland Hills Country Club is a private golf club in Bloomfield Township, Oakland County, Michigan. It has hosted many prestigious professional golf tournaments throughout its history. The club consists of two 18 hole courses: the South Course and the North Course. The South Course has hosted all...
, he narrowly missed out winning his first professional major championship yet again. Like at the 2007 Open Championship, Pádraig Harrington
Padraig Harrington
Pádraig P. Harrington is an Irish professional golfer who plays on The European Tour and The PGA Tour. He has won three major championships: The Open Championship in 2007 and 2008 and the PGA Championship, also in 2008.-Background:...
was able to erase a García lead on the back nine to take the title. García would finish two strokes back for his second runner-up finish at the PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...
. His most serious mistake during the final round was misjudging his second shot on the 16th, playing into a strong wind, which found the water in front of the par-4 hole's green, costing him sole ownership of the lead. Regarding another near-miss in a major championship, García stated, "I felt like I responded well, and he was obviously very good on the back nine, and things just happened his way."
Career high in rankings
On 26 October 2008, he won his first European Tour title in over three years, at the first playing of the Castelló Masters Costa AzaharCastelló Masters Costa Azahar
The Castelló Masters is a European Tour golf tournament that was held for the first time in October 2008, taking the slot formerly used by the Mallorca Classic...
at his home course, the Club de Campo del Mediterráneo
Club de Campo del Mediterráneo
Club de Campo del Mediterráneo is a country club located in Castellón, Spain. Opened in 1978, the Ramon Espinosa designed golf course is the venue for current European Tour event, the Castelló Masters Costa Azahar. The inaugural tournament, held in October 2008, was won by home favourite Sergio...
in Castellón, Spain. With this win, he rose to a career high of third in the Official World Golf Rankings
Official World Golf Rankings
The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of male professional golfers...
. He dedicated the victory to compatriot Seve Ballesteros, who was recovering from multiple operations on a brain tumor
Brain tumor
A brain tumor is an intracranial solid neoplasm, a tumor within the brain or the central spinal canal.Brain tumors include all tumors inside the cranium or in the central spinal canal...
. He won the 2008 HSBC Champions
HSBC Champions
The WGC-HSBC Champions is a men's professional golf 72-hole tournament. It has been contested annually since 2005 in November at the Sheshan Golf Club in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. In April 2009 it was announced that the tournament had been awarded World Golf Championships status,...
, the opening event on the 2009 European Tour season on 9 November 2008 in a playoff over Oliver Wilson
Oliver Wilson
Oliver John Wilson is an English professional golfer.Wilson was born in Mansfield, England, where his golfing career began at Coxmoor Golf Club....
. This win notched him up to a career high second in the Official World Golf Rankings
Official World Golf Rankings
The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of male professional golfers...
, replacing Phil Mickelson
Phil Mickelson
Philip Alfred Mickelson is an American professional golfer. He has won four major championships and a total of 39 events on the PGA Tour. He has reached a career high world ranking of 2nd in multiple years. He is nicknamed "Lefty" for his left-handed swing, even though he is otherwise right-handed...
in that spot, who had ironically won the HSBC Champions
HSBC Champions
The WGC-HSBC Champions is a men's professional golf 72-hole tournament. It has been contested annually since 2005 in November at the Sheshan Golf Club in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. In April 2009 it was announced that the tournament had been awarded World Golf Championships status,...
in 2007. García earned more money than any other golfer in 2008, earning $6,979,959 in 26 events.
Slump, competitive break
After his success in 2008, García had a very disappointing season in 2009, rarely contending and finished ranked 74th on the PGA Tour money list. He had more success on the European Tour where he finished tenth in the inaugural Race to Dubai. His slump continued into 2010, and after the USA PGA ChampionshipPGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...
García announced he was taking a break from golf and would miss the 2010 Ryder Cup
2010 Ryder Cup
The 38th Ryder Cup matches were held 2010 at the Celtic Manor Resort in the city of Newport, Wales. It was the first time the competition was staged in Wales. With the USA as the defending Cup holder the event was played on the newly-constructed Twenty 10 course, specifically designed for the...
. He also dropped out of the top 50 of the Official World Golf Rankings
Official World Golf Rankings
The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of male professional golfers...
. Struggles with the putter were the primary cause of his slump, since his ballstriking remained among the best in the world. On the 29 August 2010, European Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
captain Colin Montgomerie
Colin Montgomerie
Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31...
announced that García would be his fourth vice captain for the 2010 Ryder Cup
2010 Ryder Cup
The 38th Ryder Cup matches were held 2010 at the Celtic Manor Resort in the city of Newport, Wales. It was the first time the competition was staged in Wales. With the USA as the defending Cup holder the event was played on the newly-constructed Twenty 10 course, specifically designed for the...
at Celtic manor.
Return to form
García returned to competitive play late in 2010 with a new putting grip, the so-called 'paintbrush' or 'saw' grip, and this produced better results for him on the greens. After 36 holes, he was near the lead in both at the 2011 Transitions Championship and the 2011 Byron Nelson Championship, but both times faded on the weekend to fall out of contention.García had to withdraw from qualifying for the 2011 British Open because of an infected finger. He had originally planned against qualifying for the 2011 U.S. Open
2011 U.S. Open (golf)
The 2011 United States Open Championship, the 111th U.S. Open, was played June 16–19 at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland. It was won by Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, who set 11 U.S. Open records on the weekend, including the lowest total 72-hole score and the lowest total under...
, where he was outside the top-50 in the OWGR and was not guaranteed automatic entry. He eventually earned a spot in the U.S. Open after being one of the top four at a qualifying tournament near Memphis. García played well in all four rounds of the U.S. Open, ending in a tie for seventh place at five-under par 279. Garcia finished tied for ninth place in The 2011 Open Championship at Royal St George's. This was his 17th career top-10 finish in a major.
In late June 2011, García almost broke his winless streak dating back to 2008, when he lost at the fifth sudden-death playoff hole to fellow Spaniard Pablo Larrazábal
Pablo Larrazabal
Pablo Larrazábal is a Spanish professional golfer currently playing on the European Tour.Larrazábal was born in Barcelona, Spain. He attended high school in the United States and returned to Spain in 2002 with the intention of turning professional but his father made him work on the family fish...
at the BMW International Open
BMW International Open
The BMW International Open is an annual men's professional golf tournament on the European Tour. Founded in 1989, it has always been held in and around BMW's home city of Munich, Germany, and since 1997 has been played at the Golfclub München Eichenried....
. García led the tournament after the 11th hole of the final round with a stunning stretch of holes, which saw him produce three birdies and two eagles in six holes, from holes six to eleven. However his charge to the finish was derailed by four bogeys in five holes, leaving him needing a birdie at the last to make the playoff. In the playoff, both players made consecutive birdies at the first two extra holes (both par 5s) before parring holes three and four (both par 3s). At the fifth extra hole, Garcia had a 30-foot eagle putt for the victory, but ran the effort four feet past the hole. The resulting putt lipped out, allowing Larrazábal to hole a two-foot birdie putt for the victory. Despite this, García ensured qualification for the 2011 Open Championship
2011 Open Championship
The 2011 Open Championship was the 140th Open Championship, played from July 14–17 at Royal St George's Golf Club in Sandwich, Kent, England. Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland won the event by three strokes for his first major championship victory.-Venue:...
at Royal St George's with his runner-up finish, through the current form money list exemption. García went on to finish tied for 9th place at the Open Championship, his best finish for four years. He continued the run at the 2011 PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...
where he finished in a tie for 12th place, extending his streak to 50 consecutive majors played, the longest streak among active players.
In October 2011, García ended a three year title drought with back-to-back wins in his home country at the Castelló Masters and the Andalucía Masters. García won the Castelló Masters in dominant fashion, with a final score of 27-under-par, 11 strokes ahead of the field. It was the joint third highest victory margin on the European Tour, beaten only by Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
' 15 stroke victory at the 2000 U.S. Open and Ernie Els
Ernie Els
Theodore Ernest "Ernie" Els is a South African professional golfer, who has been one of the top professional players in the world since the mid-1990s. A former World No. 1, he is known as "The Big Easy" due to his imposing physical stature along with his fluid, seemingly effortless golf swing...
' 13 stroke win at the 2005 BMW Asian Open
BMW Asian Open
The BMW Asian Open was a men's professional golf tournament that was co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the European Tour. The event was founded in 2001, as part of the European Tour's drive to expand into Asia, and China in particular....
. After the win, García dedicated it to the late Seve Ballesteros, stating "That was for Seve.".
The following week, García won the Andalucía Masters, played at the Club de Golf Valderrama
Valderrama Golf Club
The Valderrama Golf Club is one of the best known golf clubs in Europe. It is located in the resort of Sotogrande, San Roque in the Andalusia region of Southern Spain, a few miles from Gibraltar, and has a single 18 hole course, along with a 9 hole par 3 course.Valderrama was constructed in 1974...
, arguably regarded as one of the toughest golf courses on the European Tour. He edged out fellow countryman Miguel Ángel Jiménez
Miguel Angel Jiménez
Miguel Ángel Jiménez Rodríguez is a Spanish professional golfer. He has won 18 times on the European Tour.-Early years:...
by one shot after a tense final round.
Following his back-to-back wins, García moved back into the top 20 of the Official World Golf Ranking.
Personal life
A bachelor, he drives a Ferrari 360 Modena and a Jaguar XJJaguar XJ
Jaguar XJ is the designation that has been used for a series of luxury saloon cars sold under the British Jaguar marque. The first XJ was launched in 1968 and the designation has been used for successive Jaguar flagship models since then. The original model was the last Jaguar saloon to have had...
R. One of his most notable ex-girlfriends is former world number-one tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player Martina Hingis
Martina Hingis
Martina Hingis is a retired Swiss professional tennis player who spent a total of 209 weeks as World No. 1. She won five Grand Slam singles titles...
, who helped him cope with the emotional side of the game. He has also had an on-and-off relationship with Greg Norman
Greg Norman
Gregory John Norman AO is an Australian professional golfer and entrepreneur who spent 331 weeks as the world's Number 1 ranked golfer in the 1980s and 1990s...
's daughter, Morgan-Leigh Norman, a graduate of Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
; however, Garcia has confirmed the couple have now separated. However, García and Greg Norman are designing a new golf course in San Antonio.
Additionally, he keeps a close friendship with the Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
an football player Diego Forlán
Diego Forlán
Diego Forlán Corazo is an Uruguayan footballer who plays as a striker for Internazionale and the Uruguayan national team. He is a two-time winner of both the Pichichi Trophy and the European Golden Shoe, and also received the Golden Ball as the best player at the 2010 World Cup.Forlán was born...
. They first met in Castelló when the latter was playing for the nearby La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
club Villarreal
Villarreal CF
Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. , usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF or just Villarreal, is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Vila-real, a city in the province of Castellón within the Valencian Community...
. More recently, he has developed a close rapport with young Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n star golfer Camilo Villegas
Camilo Villegas
Camilo Villegas is a Colombian professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and the European Tour.-Early years:Villegas was born in Medellín, Colombia, and took up golf as a child...
, with the two often dining together at night and ribbing one another . Also, Garcia has a close friendship with world tennis star Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal
Rafael "Rafa" Nadal Parera is a Spanish professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. , he is ranked No. 2 by the Association of Tennis Professionals...
.
Golf equipment
García has an endorsement deal with TaylorMade-adidas GolfTaylormade-adidas
TaylorMade-Adidas Golf Company of Carlsbad, California is a U.S. headquartered subsidiary of the German based Adidas Group. TaylorMade was started in 1979 by Gary Adams, the inventor of the metalwood, and the company has continued to maintain a consistent presence at the top of golf product...
, and uses all TaylorMade equipment, and adidas shoes and clothing. His equipment setup is as follows:
- Driver: TaylorMade R11 9.5°, Mitsubishi Diamana X-flex shaft
- Fairway Woods: TaylorMade Burner Superfast 2.0 TP 13.5° (3-wood), and TaylorMade R7 TP 17.5° (5-wood), both with Mitsubishi Diamana 103 X-flex shafts
- Irons: TaylorMade Tour Preferred Muscle Back Irons (4-PW), Royal Precision Rifle Project X 6.5 shafts
- Wedges: TaylorMade rac z TP 52°, 58°, 62°
- Putter: TaylorMade Rossa TP Ghost Maranello
- Ball: TaylorMade Penta TP
- Rangefinder: Bushnell Slope Edition (Sponsored by Bushnell)
There is also unofficial video documentation of a press conference where Snell speaks on the new TP balls while García demonstrates some shots.
PGA Tour wins (7)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 May 2001 2001 PGA Tour The 2001 PGA Tour season was played from January 3 to November 4. The season consisted of 47 official money events and two events were cancelled due to the terrorist attacks on September 11. Tiger Woods won the most tournaments, five, and there were 10 first-time winners... |
MasterCard Colonial | 2 strokes |  Brian GayBrian Gay Joseph Brian Gay is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour.- Early years :A military brat, Gay was born in Fort Worth, Texas, but was raised primarily at Fort Rucker, Alabama, where his father was a U.S. Army noncomissioned officer involved in flight operations... , Phil MickelsonPhil Mickelson Philip Alfred Mickelson is an American professional golfer. He has won four major championships and a total of 39 events on the PGA Tour. He has reached a career high world ranking of 2nd in multiple years. He is nicknamed "Lefty" for his left-handed swing, even though he is otherwise right-handed... |
|
| 2 | 24 Jun 2001 2001 PGA Tour The 2001 PGA Tour season was played from January 3 to November 4. The season consisted of 47 official money events and two events were cancelled due to the terrorist attacks on September 11. Tiger Woods won the most tournaments, five, and there were 10 first-time winners... |
Buick Classic | 3 strokes | Scott Hoch Scott Hoch Scott Mabon Hoch is an American golfer, who represented his country in the Ryder Cup in 1997 and 2002.Hoch was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. He was a member of the golf team at Wake Forest University before graduating in 1978. He also played on the winning U.S. team in the Eisenhower Trophy... |
|
| 3 | 6 Jan 2002 2002 PGA Tour The 2002 PGA Tour season was played from January 3 to November 4. The season consisted of 49 official money events. Tiger Woods won the most tournaments, five, and there were 18 first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The following... |
Mercedes Championships | Playoff | David Toms David Toms David Wayne Toms is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He has won a total of thirteen events on the PGA Tour including the 2001 PGA Championship... |
|
| 4 | 16 May 2004 2004 PGA Tour The 2004 PGA Tour season was played from January 8 to November 7. The season consisted of 48 official money events. Vijay Singh won the most tournaments, nine, and there were 10 first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The following... |
EDS Byron Nelson Championship EDS Byron Nelson Championship The HP Byron Nelson Championship is a golf tournament on the PGA Tour. The tournament is held in late April / early May at the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas in Irving, Texas, USA... |
Playoff | Robert Damron Robert Damron Robert Douglas Damron is an American professional golfer and current player on the PGA Tour.Damron was born in Pikeville, Kentucky. He was raised there and later in Orlando, Florida after his father, a wealthy Kentucky coal magnate, moved the family to central Florida's exclusive Bay Hill... , Dudley HartDudley Hart Howard Dudley Hart is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour.-Early years:Hart was born in Rochester, New York... |
|
| 5 | 13 Jun 2004 2004 PGA Tour The 2004 PGA Tour season was played from January 8 to November 7. The season consisted of 48 official money events. Vijay Singh won the most tournaments, nine, and there were 10 first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The following... |
Buick Classic | Playoff |  Pádraig HarringtonPadraig Harrington Pádraig P. Harrington is an Irish professional golfer who plays on The European Tour and The PGA Tour. He has won three major championships: The Open Championship in 2007 and 2008 and the PGA Championship, also in 2008.-Background:... ,  Rory SabbatiniRory Sabbatini Rory Mario Trevor Sabbatini is a South African professional golfer.Rory Sabbatini was born in Durban, South Africa. He started playing golf at age 4, but concentrated on it from age 12. He was recruited by the University of Arizona, turned professional in 1998 and joined the PGA Tour in 1999... |
|
| 6 | 12 Jun 2005 2005 PGA Tour -Awards:*PGA Player of the Year: Tiger Woods*PGA Tour Player of the Year : Tiger Woods*PGA Tour Money Winner : Tiger Woods*Vardon Trophy: Tiger Woods*Byron Nelson Award: Tiger Woods*Rookie of the Year: Sean O'Hair... |
Booz Allen Classic Booz Allen Classic The Booz Allen Classic was a regular golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 1968 to 2006.Perhaps more so than any other "regular" PGA Tour stop, the event wandered about, not just from course to course within a given metropolitan area, but along the East Coast... |
2 strokes | Ben Crane Ben Crane Benjamin McCully Crane is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour.-Amateur career:Crane was born in Portland, Oregon. He was age 5 when his grandfather taught him how to play golf, and he grew up playing at the nearby Portland Golf Club where Ben Hogan won the 1945 Portland Open... , Davis Love IIIDavis Love III Davis Milton Love III is an American professional golfer.Love was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. He attended the University of North Carolina before turning professional in 1985. He earned his PGA Tour card in the fall of 1985, on his first attempt. He quickly established himself on the PGA... ,  Adam Scott |
|
| 7 | 11 May 2008 2008 PGA Tour The 2008 PGA Tour season ran from January 3 to November 9. The season consisted of 49 official money events. This included four major championships and three World Golf Championships, which are also sanctioned by the European Tour. There were also five unofficial events played in November and... |
The Players Championship The Players Championship The Players Championship is an annual golf tournament on the PGA Tour.Originally known as the Tournament Players Championship, the inaugural event in 1974 was played at Atlanta Country Club in Marietta, Georgia before moving to the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas in 1975 and Inverrary... |
Playoff | Paul Goydos Paul Goydos Paul David Goydos is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour.-Early life:... |
PGA Tour playoff record (4–5)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2001 | The Tour Championship The Tour Championship The Tour Championship was historically the final event of golf's PGA Tour season. Since 2007, it has been the final event of the FedEx Cup, the competition for the first official championship trophy for the PGA Tour season. From 1987 to 1996, several courses hosted the event... |
 Mike WeirMike Weir Michael Richard Weir, CM, O.Ont is a Canadian professional golfer on the PGA Tour. He spent over 110 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings between 2001 and 2005. He is best known for winning the Masters in 2003.... , David TomsDavid Toms David Wayne Toms is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He has won a total of thirteen events on the PGA Tour including the 2001 PGA Championship... , Ernie ElsErnie Els Theodore Ernest "Ernie" Els is a South African professional golfer, who has been one of the top professional players in the world since the mid-1990s. A former World No. 1, he is known as "The Big Easy" due to his imposing physical stature along with his fluid, seemingly effortless golf swing... |
Weir won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 2 | 2002 | Mercedes Championships | David Toms David Toms David Wayne Toms is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He has won a total of thirteen events on the PGA Tour including the 2001 PGA Championship... |
Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 3 | 2004 | EDS Byron Nelson Championship EDS Byron Nelson Championship The HP Byron Nelson Championship is a golf tournament on the PGA Tour. The tournament is held in late April / early May at the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas in Irving, Texas, USA... |
Dudley Hart Dudley Hart Howard Dudley Hart is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour.-Early years:Hart was born in Rochester, New York... , Robert DamronRobert Damron Robert Douglas Damron is an American professional golfer and current player on the PGA Tour.Damron was born in Pikeville, Kentucky. He was raised there and later in Orlando, Florida after his father, a wealthy Kentucky coal magnate, moved the family to central Florida's exclusive Bay Hill... |
Won with par on first extra hole |
| 4 | 2004 | Buick Classic | Rory Sabbatini Rory Sabbatini Rory Mario Trevor Sabbatini is a South African professional golfer.Rory Sabbatini was born in Durban, South Africa. He started playing golf at age 4, but concentrated on it from age 12. He was recruited by the University of Arizona, turned professional in 1998 and joined the PGA Tour in 1999... , Pádraig HarringtonPadraig Harrington Pádraig P. Harrington is an Irish professional golfer who plays on The European Tour and The PGA Tour. He has won three major championships: The Open Championship in 2007 and 2008 and the PGA Championship, also in 2008.-Background:... |
Won with birdie on third extra hole Harrington eliminated with par on second hole |
| 5 | 2005 | Wachovia Championship Wachovia Championship The Wells Fargo Championship, known in 2009 and 2010 as the Quail Hollow Championship, is a PGA Tour golf tournament. The event is held at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina in early May. It was first played in 2003 as the Wachovia Championship and has attracted some of the top... |
 Vijay SinghVijay Singh Vijay Singh, CF , nicknamed "The Big Fijian", is a Fijian professional golfer who was Number 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings for 32 weeks in 2004 and 2005. He has won three major championships and was the leading PGA Tour money winner in 2003, 2004 and 2008... , Jim FurykJim Furyk James Michael Furyk is an American professional golfer, 2010 FedEx Cup champion, and 2010 PGA Tour Player of the Year. He has won one major championship, the 2003 U.S. Open. Furyk is known for consistently playing at the top level and for a visibly unconventional, looping golf swing... |
Singh won with par on fourth extra hole Garcia eliminated with par on first hole |
| 6 | 2007 | The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
Pádraig Harrington Padraig Harrington Pádraig P. Harrington is an Irish professional golfer who plays on The European Tour and The PGA Tour. He has won three major championships: The Open Championship in 2007 and 2008 and the PGA Championship, also in 2008.-Background:... |
Lost four hole playoff Harrington (3–3–4–5=15), García (5–3–4–4=16) |
| 7 | 2008 | The Players Championship The Players Championship The Players Championship is an annual golf tournament on the PGA Tour.Originally known as the Tournament Players Championship, the inaugural event in 1974 was played at Atlanta Country Club in Marietta, Georgia before moving to the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas in 1975 and Inverrary... |
Paul Goydos Paul Goydos Paul David Goydos is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour.-Early life:... |
Won with par on first extra hole |
| 8 | 2008 | The Barclays | Vijay Singh Vijay Singh Vijay Singh, CF , nicknamed "The Big Fijian", is a Fijian professional golfer who was Number 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings for 32 weeks in 2004 and 2005. He has won three major championships and was the leading PGA Tour money winner in 2003, 2004 and 2008... , Kevin SutherlandKevin Sutherland Kevin John Sutherland is an American professional golfer.Sutherland was born in Sacramento, California and graduated from Christian Brothers High School. He attended Fresno State University and made the golf team as a walk-on freshman... |
Singh won with birdie on second extra hole Sutherland eliminated with par on first hole |
| 9 | 2008 | The Tour Championship The Tour Championship The Tour Championship was historically the final event of golf's PGA Tour season. Since 2007, it has been the final event of the FedEx Cup, the competition for the first official championship trophy for the PGA Tour season. From 1987 to 1996, several courses hosted the event... |
 Camilo VillegasCamilo Villegas Camilo Villegas is a Colombian professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour and the European Tour.-Early years:Villegas was born in Medellín, Colombia, and took up golf as a child... |
Villegas won with par on first extra hole |
European Tour wins (10)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 Jul 1999 | Murphy's Irish Open | 3 strokes |  Ángel CabreraAngel Cabrera Ángel Cabrera is an Argentine professional golfer who plays on both the European Tour and PGA Tour. He is known affectionately as "El Pato" in Spanish or in English as "The duck" for his waddling gait. He is a former U.S. Open champion and Masters champion. He is the first Argentine to win either... |
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| 2 | 3 Oct 1999 | Linde German Masters | Playoff | Pádraig Harrington Padraig Harrington Pádraig P. Harrington is an Irish professional golfer who plays on The European Tour and The PGA Tour. He has won three major championships: The Open Championship in 2007 and 2008 and the PGA Championship, also in 2008.-Background:... ,  Ian WoosnamIan Woosnam Ian Harold Woosnam OBE is a Welsh professional golfer.Nicknamed 'Woosie', 'Woosers', or the 'Wee Welshman', Woosnam was one of the "Big Five" generation of European golfers, all born within 12 months of one another, all of whom have won majors, and made Europe competitive in the Ryder Cup... |
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| 3 | 23 Sep 2001 | Trophée Lancôme Trophée Lancôme The Trophée Lancôme was a professional golf tournament which was staged in France from 1970 to 2003.Gaëtan Mourgue D'Algue, a French golf enthusiast from Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche, hoped to popularize the then little-known sport of Golf in France during the early 1960s... |
1 stroke | Retief Goosen Retief Goosen Retief Goosen is a South African professional golfer who has been in the top ten in the Official World Golf Rankings for over 250 weeks between 2001 and 2007. His main achievements have been two U.S... |
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| 4 | 28 Apr 2002 | Canarias Open de Espana | 4 strokes |  Emanuele CanonicaEmanuele Canonica Emanuele Canonica is an Italian professional golfer.Canonica was born at Moncalieri in the province of Turin in the Piedmont region. He won the Italian National Juniors Championship in 1990 and was part of the gold medal winning Italian team at the European Youths' Championship that year... |
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| 5 | 17 Oct 2004 2004 European Tour The 2004 European Tour was the 33rd golf season since the European Tour officially began in 1972. The 2004 season consisted of 45 official money events. This included four major championships and three World Golf Championships, which were also sanctioned by the PGA Tour... |
Mallorca Classic Mallorca Classic The Mallorca Classic was a men's professional golf tournament on the European Tour, held between 2003 and 2007 at Pula Golf in Mallorca. It marked the return of the Tour to the island, having previously played host to the Open de Baleares between 1988 to 1995.... |
4 strokes |  Simon KhanSimon Khan Simon Khan is an English professional golfer.Khan turned professional in 1991, but spent many years struggling to establish his tournament career. His first full season on the European Tour was 2002 and his first European Tour win came at the 2004 Celtic Manor Wales Open... |
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| 6 | 4 Sep 2005 2005 European Tour The 2005 European Tour was the 34th golf season since the European Tour officially began in 1972. The 2005 season consisted of 47 official money events, which was a new record total. This included four major championships and three World Golf Championships, which were also sanctioned by the PGA Tour... |
Omega European Masters Omega European Masters The Omega European Masters is the Swiss stop on professional men's golf's European Tour, and in 2009 will become the first event in Europe to be co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour.... |
1 stroke |  Peter GustafssonPeter Gustafsson Peter Gustafsson is a Swedish professional golfer.Gustafsson was born in Orust, Sweden. He turned professional in 1999.... |
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| 7 | 26 Oct 2008 2008 European Tour The 2008 European Tour was the 37th golf season since the European Tour officially began in 1972. The 2008 season consisted of 50 official money events, a drop of two from the previous year. This included seven major championships and World Golf Championships, which are also sanctioned by the PGA... |
Castelló Masters Costa Azahar Castelló Masters Costa Azahar The Castelló Masters is a European Tour golf tournament that was held for the first time in October 2008, taking the slot formerly used by the Mallorca Classic... |
3 strokes | Peter Hedblom Peter Hedblom Peter Mikael Hedblom is a Swedish professional golfer.-Amateur career:Hedblom was born in Gävle, Sweden. He won the 1986 Swedish Boys Championship when he was 16. The following year he won the Doral Junior Classic in the United States and the Scandinavian Amateur Open... |
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| 8 | 9 Nov 2008 2009 European Tour The 2009 European Tour was the 38th series of golf tournaments since the European Tour officially began in 1972. There were major changes for the 2009 season as the tour entered a partnership agreement with Dubai based Leisurecorp... |
HSBC Champions HSBC Champions The WGC-HSBC Champions is a men's professional golf 72-hole tournament. It has been contested annually since 2005 in November at the Sheshan Golf Club in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. In April 2009 it was announced that the tournament had been awarded World Golf Championships status,... |
Playoff | Oliver Wilson Oliver Wilson Oliver John Wilson is an English professional golfer.Wilson was born in Mansfield, England, where his golfing career began at Coxmoor Golf Club.... |
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| 9 | 23 Oct 2011 2011 European Tour The 2011 European Tour will be the third edition of the Race to Dubai and the 40th season of golf tournaments since the European Tour officially began in 1972.-Schedule:... |
Castelló Masters | 11 strokes |  Gonzalo Fernández-CastañoGonzalo Fernández-Castaño Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño is a Spanish professional golfer.Fernández-Castaño was born in Madrid. He turned professional in 2004 and came eighth at that year's European Tour Qualifying School.... |
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| 10 | 30 Oct 2011 2011 European Tour The 2011 European Tour will be the third edition of the Race to Dubai and the 40th season of golf tournaments since the European Tour officially began in 1972.-Schedule:... |
Andalucía Masters | 1 stroke | Miguel Ángel Jiménez Miguel Angel Jiménez Miguel Ángel Jiménez Rodríguez is a Spanish professional golfer. He has won 18 times on the European Tour.-Early years:... |
European Tour playoff record (2–4)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1999 | Linde German Masters | Padraig Harrington Padraig Harrington Pádraig P. Harrington is an Irish professional golfer who plays on The European Tour and The PGA Tour. He has won three major championships: The Open Championship in 2007 and 2008 and the PGA Championship, also in 2008.-Background:... , Ian WoosnamIan Woosnam Ian Harold Woosnam OBE is a Welsh professional golfer.Nicknamed 'Woosie', 'Woosers', or the 'Wee Welshman', Woosnam was one of the "Big Five" generation of European golfers, all born within 12 months of one another, all of whom have won majors, and made Europe competitive in the Ryder Cup... |
Won with birdie on second extra hole Woosnam eliminated with par on first hole |
| 2 | 2001 | Greg Norman Holden International Greg Norman Holden International The Greg Norman Holden International was a men's professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour of Australasia. It was played from 1993 to 2001. It was also co-sanctioned with the European Tour in 2000 and 2001... |
Aaron Baddeley Aaron Baddeley Aaron John Baddeley is an American-Australian professional golfer. He was born in Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA and now plays on the U.S.-based PGA Tour, has joint U.S. and Australian citizenship and was raised in Australia from the age of two... |
Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
| 3 | 2004 | Volvo Masters Andalucia | Ian Poulter Ian Poulter Ian James Poulter is an English professional golfer who is a member of the world's top two professional golf tours, the U.S.-based PGA Tour and the European Tour. He has previously been as high as number five in the world rankings... |
Lost to par on first extra hole |
| 4 | 2007 | The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
Pádraig Harrington Padraig Harrington Pádraig P. Harrington is an Irish professional golfer who plays on The European Tour and The PGA Tour. He has won three major championships: The Open Championship in 2007 and 2008 and the PGA Championship, also in 2008.-Background:... |
Lost four hole playoff Harrington (3–3–4–5=15), García (5–3–4–4=16) |
| 5 | 2008 | HSBC Champions HSBC Champions The WGC-HSBC Champions is a men's professional golf 72-hole tournament. It has been contested annually since 2005 in November at the Sheshan Golf Club in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. In April 2009 it was announced that the tournament had been awarded World Golf Championships status,... |
Oliver Wilson Oliver Wilson Oliver John Wilson is an English professional golfer.Wilson was born in Mansfield, England, where his golfing career began at Coxmoor Golf Club.... |
Won with birdie on second extra hole |
| 6 | 2011 | BMW International Open BMW International Open The BMW International Open is an annual men's professional golf tournament on the European Tour. Founded in 1989, it has always been held in and around BMW's home city of Munich, Germany, and since 1997 has been played at the Golfclub München Eichenried.... |
Pablo Larrazábal Pablo Larrazabal Pablo Larrazábal is a Spanish professional golfer currently playing on the European Tour.Larrazábal was born in Barcelona, Spain. He attended high school in the United States and returned to Spain in 2002 with the intention of turning professional but his father made him work on the family fish... |
Lost to birdie on fifth extra hole |
Other wins (5)
- 1997 Catalonian Open Championship (Spain – not a European Tour event)
- 2001 Nedbank Golf ChallengeNedbank Golf ChallengeThe Nedbank Golf Challenge is an annual men's professional golf tournament played at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City, North West province, South Africa. It is not an official money event for any of the major tours, and like many high profile unofficial tournaments in professional golf it...
(South Africa – unofficial event) - 2002 Kolon Cup Korean Open (Asian TourAsian TourThe Asian Tour is the principal men's professional golf tour in Asia except for Japan, which has its own Japan Golf Tour, which is also a full member of the International Federation of PGA Tours. The Asian Tour is administered from offices in Singapore...
) - 2003 Nedbank Golf ChallengeNedbank Golf ChallengeThe Nedbank Golf Challenge is an annual men's professional golf tournament played at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City, North West province, South Africa. It is not an official money event for any of the major tours, and like many high profile unofficial tournaments in professional golf it...
(South Africa – unofficial event) - 2010 Gary Player Invitational (with John CookJohn Cook (golfer)John Neuman Cook is an American professional golfer, who has played on the PGA Tour and currently plays on the Champions Tour....
)
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP | DNP | T38 LA |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
CUT | DNP | T29 | CUT |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | 2 |
| Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | T40 | CUT | 8 | T28 | T4 | CUT | 46 | CUT | CUT | T38 |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
T46 | T12 | 4 | T35 | T20 | T3 | CUT | CUT | T18 | T10 |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
T36 | T9 | T8 | T10 | CUT | T5 | T5 | 2 | T51 | T38 |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
T34 | CUT | T10 | CUT | CUT | T23 | T3 | DQ | T2 | CUT |
| Tournament | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|
| The Masters | T45 | T35 |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
T22 | T7 |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
T14 | T9 |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
CUT | T12 |
LA = Low Amateur
DNP = did not play
CUT = missed the half way cut
"T" = tied
DQ = disqualified
Yellow background for top-10.
Results in World Golf Championship events
| Tournament | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accenture Match Play Championship WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship The WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship is one of the annual World Golf Championships. It is a knockout event and is staged in January or February each year... |
DNP | R16 | DNP | R16 | R64 | R64 | R16 | DNP | R32 | R32 |
| Cadillac Championship | T7 | T5 | NT1 | 7 | T12 | T4 | T3 | T32 | T3 | T15 |
| Bridgestone Invitational WGC-Bridgestone Invitational The WGC-Bridgestone Invitational is one of the annual World Golf Championships for male professional golfers. It is sanctioned and organized by the International Federation of PGA Tours and the prize money is official money on both the PGA Tour and the PGA European Tour... |
T7 | DNP | DNP | T58 | T30 | T16 | T13 | T22 | T20 | T36 |
| Tournament | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accenture Match Play Championship WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship The WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship is one of the annual World Golf Championships. It is a knockout event and is staged in January or February each year... |
R64 | 4 | DNP |
| Cadillac Championship | T31 | T37 | DNP |
| Bridgestone Invitational WGC-Bridgestone Invitational The WGC-Bridgestone Invitational is one of the annual World Golf Championships for male professional golfers. It is sanctioned and organized by the International Federation of PGA Tours and the prize money is official money on both the PGA Tour and the PGA European Tour... |
T22 | T22 | T53 |
| HSBC Champions | T23 | DNP | DNP |
1Cancelled due to 9/11
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
DNP = Did not play
QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = tied
NT = No tournament
Yellow background for top-10.
Note that the HSBC Champions did not become a WGC event until 2009.
Team appearances
Amateur- Eisenhower TrophyEisenhower TrophyThe Eisenhower Trophy is a biennial world amateur team golf championship for men organized by the International Golf Federation. It is named for Dwight D. Eisenhower, the President of the United States when the tournament was first played, who was a keen amateur golfer. Recent tournaments have...
: 1996, 1998 - St Andrews TrophySt Andrews TrophyThe St Andrews Trophy is a biennial men's team golf tournament contested between teams of amateur golfers representing Great Britain & Ireland and Continental Europe. It takes its name from St Andrews in Scotland, which is colloquially known as the "Home of Golf". The competition was founded in...
: 1996, 1998 - Junior Ryder CupJunior Ryder CupThe Junior Ryder Cup is a team golf competition between Europe and the United States. It is based on the men's Ryder Cup and is run by the same organisations, the PGA of America and Ryder Cup Ltd . The teams consist of six boys and six girls...
: 1995 (winners), 1997 - Jacques Léglise TrophyJacques Léglise TrophyThe Jacques Léglise Trophy is an annual boys' team golf competition between Great Britain & Ireland and the Continent of Europe. It was inaugurated in 1958 and is organised by the R&A. Great Britain & Ireland dominated in the early years to such an extent that it was discontinued in 1966. It was...
: 1994, 1995, 1996 (winners), 1997, 1998
Professional
- Ryder CupRyder CupThe Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
(representing Europe): 19991999 Ryder CupThe 33rd Ryder Cup Matches, also known as the "Battle of Brookline", were held between September 24–26 at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts....
, 20022002 Ryder CupThe 34th Ryder Cup Matches were held between 27–29 September 2002, on the Brabazon Course at The Belfry in Wishaw, Warwickshire, England ....
(winners), 20042004 Ryder CupThe 35th Ryder Cup Matches were held September 17–19 at the Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Township, Michigan.The European team won the competition by a margin of 18½ to 9½ points, the winning putt being made by Colin Montgomerie, who maintained his record of never losing in any of his...
(winners), 20062006 Ryder CupThe 36th Ryder Cup Matches were held 22–24 September 2006 at the K Club, Straffan, Co. Kildare, Ireland. Team Europe won the competition by a score of 18½ to 9½ points, equalling their record winning margin of 2 years earlier. This was the first time Europe had achieved three successive victories...
(winners), 20082008 Ryder CupThe 37th Ryder Cup Matches were held September 19–21, 2008, at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. Team USA won 16½ - 11½ to end the streak of three successive victories for Team Europe. This was Team USA's largest margin of victory since 1981, and the first time since 1979 the...
, 20102010 Ryder CupThe 38th Ryder Cup matches were held 2010 at the Celtic Manor Resort in the city of Newport, Wales. It was the first time the competition was staged in Wales. With the USA as the defending Cup holder the event was played on the newly-constructed Twenty 10 course, specifically designed for the...
(non-playing vice-captain, winners) - Alfred Dunhill CupAlfred Dunhill CupThe Alfred Dunhill Cup was a team golf tournament which ran from 1985 to 2000. It was for three man teams of professional golfers, one team representing each country, and was promoted as the "World Team Championship". It was a "special approved event" on the European Tour, which means that it was...
(representing Spain): 1999 (winners) - Seve TrophySeve TrophyThe Seve Trophy is a biennial golf tournament between teams of professional male golfers representing Great Britain & Ireland and Continental Europe. It is named after five times major winner Seve Ballesteros, the most successful golfer ever from Continental Europe who was one of the key...
(representing Continental Europe): 2000 (winners), 2003 - World Cup (representing Spain): 2001, 2004, 2005, 20092009 Omega Mission Hills World CupThe 2009 Omega Mission Hills World Cup took place from November 26 to November 29 at Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen, China. It was the 55th World Cup. 28 countries competed as two player teams...
See also
- Golfers with most European Tour winsGolfers with most European Tour winsThis is a list of golfers who have won eight or more events on the European Tour since it was established in 1972. There are some complications in preparing such a list, and different publications have produced different numbers...
- Golfers with most PGA Tour winsGolfers with most PGA Tour winsThis is a list of golfers who have won five or more official money events on the PGA Tour.Players under 50 years of age are shown in bold. On his 50th birthday a golfer becomes eligible to compete on the Champions Tour, and he is unlikely to add to his tally of PGA Tour wins after that date This is...
- Monday Night GolfMonday Night GolfMonday Night Golf was a series of seven match play golf challenge matches that ran from 1999 to 2005. All the matches involved World Number 1 Tiger Woods, and were run by his representatives IMG, and broadcast on ABC Sports...
External links
- ESPN Profile
- Interview – The ObserverThe ObserverThe Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
, 8 October 2006