Garcia stars but Lowry provides plenty Irish cheer

THE excited Valderrama crowd cheered Sergio Garcia home to a hugely significant victory for himself and Spain yesterday but the sparse but vocal Irish in the gallery also had plenty to shout about after a superb final day performance by Shane Lowry at the Andalucia Masters.

Garcia captured his second title on home soil in the space of eight days with rounds of 70, 70, 67 and 71 for a six under par total of 278, one better than his compatriot Miguel-Angel Jimenez. Garcia won the first prize of €500,000 that moves him up to 7th in the European Tour’s Race to Dubai order of merit and already powerfully placed to regain his Ryder Cup place at Medinah next September.

“Winning in Castellon last week and then again at Valderrama to become the first Spaniard to win on a course with so much history is very special”, said Garcia. “I was three ahead of Miguel after 15 but only one in front playing the last and that’s a lot of pressure. I had been in this situation three or four times in the past on this course and finished runner-up. It’s been a tough few years for me but I never doubted that I’d be back. And the Ryder Cup points are especially sweet as well.”