Favourites tag for García

Sergio García could not quite make it a Spanish sporting double last night, but he has now been made favourite for next week’s Open Championship.

Most bookmakers have promoted the 28-year-old to just ahead of Ernie Els in the betting for Royal Birkdale – no Tiger Woods there, of course – after the way he finished the European Open at The London Club in Kent.

García, winner of the Players Championship in Florida in May, was runner-up to England’s Ross Fisher, albeit seven strokes behind, after a best-of-the-day 66 containing a mere 21 putts.

Given the wind and rain, he called it one of the top five rounds of his career and “definitely the best putting round I’ve ever had”.

“Now I know what Tiger feels 90% of the time on the greens – it’s a great feeling,” he said.

Beaten in a play-off for The Open by Padraig Harrington at Carnoustie last July, García will be back next week on the course where he finished 28th as an amateur 10 years ago.

Putting, of course, has been by far the weakest part of his game in recent seasons, but earlier this year he began working with American Stan Utley and he is delighted at the improvement.