Garcia on Ryder Cup trail

TOURNAMENT host Sergio Garcia exhibited the winning form the golf world has missed in recent years crushing his rivals to capture the Castellon Masters by a career-best 11 strokes.

Garcia won the event for a second occasion in four years with a 27-under par tally on the Club de Campo del Mediterranean course where he grew up.

The 30-year old Spaniard teamed up with 10-time Grand Slam winning Rafa Nadal to win the Pro-Am at the start of the week before slamming the door shut on his guests with scores of 67, 63, 64 and 63.

Garcia recorded two eagles, 27 birdies and only four bogeys over the four days. And in moving to 10th position overall on the Ryder Cup points table, Garcia delivered fellow Spaniard and European Ryder Cup captain, Jose Maria Olazabal a timely reminder.

“The Ryder Cup is huge and very important for me and even more in a Ryder Cup year,” said Garcia.

“Everyone knows how much the Ryder Cup means to me and I want to keep playing well. I don’t want to slow down after this and I want to keep more and more Ryder Cup points.

“I want to make that Ryder Cup team by myself and qualify automatically and not be a pick.”

Compatriot Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (64) was a distant second on 16-under par while Michael Hoey led home the Irish with a 66 for a share of 20th place at eight under par.

“Looking back, and given I hadn’t played for three weeks, I would have taken top-20 at the start of the week,” said the Irishman.

“I was tied for the lead after 15 holes in round one and I’m pleased with the way I found my rhythm over these last two days because I lost it a bit on day two.”

“I’ve done some good work again this week on my mental side with Jamie Gough and he’s helped me a lot plus my putting is still good and that’s down to my work with Phil Kenyon.

“So I’m pleased to get back into competition and play well and now looking forward very much to Shanghai the week after next.

“Including Shanghai I’ve still got five events to play so there is much to play for like another win, top-64 on the World Rankings and then maybe top-50 and back to Augusta next year.”

Hoey joins rookie pro Paul Cutler this morning at the Hilton Templepatrick Hotel and Country Club in Belfast where the pair launch their association with BlackCube.

Cutler will then head to the Costa del Sol where he teams up with new caddy and fellow Ulsterman, Ryan McGuigan for this week’s final event on the continent, the Andalucia Masters.

Hoey has to finalise his Chinese visa ahead of next week’s €5m WGC HSBC Champions event in Shanghai.

It will be Hoey’s debut showing in a World Golf Championship and the first big reward in capturing last month’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. And it will be in the China financial capital where Hoey will catch up for the first time with new Horizon management stable mate, Rory McIlroy.

“It will be good to catch up with Rory and welcome him to the Horizon team,” said Hoey.