Thirty years after his debut, the player from Castellon carded a 67 (-4) to move into third place, just one shot behind joint leaders Grant Forrest, Eugenio Chacarra and Conor Syme, on an afternoon of testing conditions.
Some stories deserve a happy ending. Sergio García’s relationship with the Open de España presented by Madrid is undoubtedly one of them. Three decades after making his amateur debut in this tournament, the Castellon native returned to Real Club de Campo Villa de Madrid with a superb round of 67 (-4), leaving him in third place, just one shot behind leaders Eugenio Chacarra and Conor Syme.
His score was all the more impressive given the difficulties posed by the Madrid course during the afternoon. The wind strengthened as the hours passed, while the greens, as is customary, suffered the effects of a full day’s play, making putts more difficult to hole for the later groups.
Sergio drew on all his experience in the testing conditions. A spectacular eagle at the 4th was the first major moment in a round that, despite bogeys at the 6th and 13th, included four birdies at the 7th, 12th, 14th and 15th. He closed with a par at the 18th to complete one of the standout performances of the afternoon.
The result was also a magnificent way to celebrate a very special milestone. In 1996, aged just 16, García played his first Open de España on this same course, where he finished level with Severiano Ballesteros. Six years later, in 2002, he won the title at El Cortijo, becoming the tournament’s youngest champion. Thirty years after that debut, the Castellon golfer continues to show that he still has plenty to offer.
At the top of the leaderboard, Spain’s Eugenio Chacarra, Scotland’s Conor Syme and Grant Forrest share the lead after rounds of 66 (-5). Chacarra’s performance was particularly impressive, as he managed to move to the head of the field despite playing with a broken toe.
The Spanish contingent again demonstrated its strength, with Ángel Ayora joining Sergio García on 67 (-4). Other home players, including Josele Ballester, Pablo Larrazábal, Alejandro del Rey, Ángel Hidalgo, Nacho Elvira and Jorge Campillo, also took to the course in the afternoon, when conditions were noticeably more demanding than they had been in the morning.
Thirty years on, Sergio García continues to give the Madrid crowds cause for excitement. And his Open de España has only just begun.
