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Sergio Garcia - A good example of a successful Spanish golf player
By Chekufeh Jash
Sergio Garcia is an exciting young and successful professional Spanish golfer from the country´s eastern coast. He turned pro at only 19 years old and is referred to as “El Niño” not only for his age but for his lighthearted approach to the game. Sergio grins, jumps for joy, and has even been noted to run or gallop after a ball to see where it has landed. Sergio is an emotional Spanish golf player, and some critics say his anger is his Achilles heel, but with age and maturity there are those that are eager to witness the change to “El Señor.”
Garcia was born on January 9th, 1980 in the town of Borriol, in the province of Castellón, found approximately one hour north of Valencia. His father, Victor Sr gave him his first set of cut-down golf clubs at the age of 3. Victor Sr. was in fact the pro at the Mediterraneo Golf Club while his mother , Consuelo, ran the pro shop.
Sunny Borriol gave way to outdoor activities the majority of the year with scenic views and only a few miles from the Mediterraneo Golf Club. A great place for the 3 Garcia children to grow up and practise sports, i.e. golf. Sergio´s older brother, Victor Jr, was also a golfer and attended college on a golf scholarship. Mar, his sister, also played at the collegiate level at the University of Arizona.
Their father was the golf catalyst in the family, passing the genes down and encouraging the children to play. Victor Sr caddied as a young man in the 1960s but as a non-member he had to sneak on to the golf course in the morning and night hours to get his practice in. In the 1970s Victor Sr made a run at joining the European tour without much success. Afterwards he realised his talent was best suited for instructing golfers on the finer details of the game.
Seve Ballesteros, another Spanish golf legend, is a friend of the Garcia family and would eventually become some-what of a mentor to Sergio. Not to mention the two golfers would eventually compete on the same greens as Sergio advanced through the ranks.
Sergio developed his swing and some of the finer points of his game from his father and Ballesteros. Noted as one of the best golf players out there, Sergio’s passion has driven him from an amateur champion to a professional star. Sergio turned pro on April 21, 1999.
According to Wikipedia Sergio García has 8 PGA Tour wins as a professional, spanning from 2001 to 2008. The Spanish golfer also has 8 European Tour wins from 1999 through 2008. 4 other wins, 1 in Spain, 2 in South Africa, and 1 in Korea on the Asian tour are also noted in his win column. Sergiogarcia.com lists 19 total Tour wins for the 30-year old with his most recent victory at the HSBC Championship. Garcia is currently ranked among the top 5 golf players in the world while he enjoys his down time at either one of his homes in Switzerland or Florida.Latest Student Articles
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