MASTERS champion Sergio Garcia is looking to complete an unprecedented Spanish golfing hat-trick at The Open and extend his country’s successful summer of sport.
Compatriots Jon Rahm and Rafael Cabrera Bello were victorious at the Irish and Scottish Opens respectively in the last two weeks and Garcia, whose two runners-up finishes in pursuit of the Claret Jug include the last time the event was in the north west at Royal Liverpool in 2014, wants to complete the treble.
With Spain’s Garbine Muguruza winning the Wimbledon women’s title at the weekend and Rafael Nadal picking up a 10th French Open title last month the country is currently riding the crest of a sporting wave.
“Yeah, it would be amazing,” said Garcia, who finally broke his major drought at Augusta in April, when asked about continuing the run of Spanish success.
“It’s so great to have not only that (Rahm and Cabrera Bello winning) but Muguruza winning at Wimbledon, too.
“So Spanish sports it’s at a good stage. It’s been up there for a while, obviously with Rafa winning Roland Garros.
“It’s been a fun year for Spanish sports but for Spanish golf it’s been great.
“It’s very exciting to see that, to see guys that you’re friendly with winning and fellow countrymen doing great things, so we’re going to try to keep it as much as possible.”
Garcia gets married next week to fiancee Angela Akins but he insists even his impending nuptials will not affect his focus at Royal Birkdale.
And arriving as the current Masters champion, with the confidence a major victory gives him, means the 37-year-old is happy in his surroundings.
“I said right after winning the Masters (that) I don’t think that things have changed.
“I’m still the same person. Obviously winning the Masters was amazing and it does give you a little bit of extra confidence and I’ve been having a very solid year.
“But every week is different.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here