Sergio Garcia: Player Profile
Who is Sergio Garcia?
Sergio Garcia is one of the best Spanish golfers to have ever played the game, with a Ryder Cup record and a major victory.
He was born in January 1980 in Borriol, Spain, and began playing the sport at a young age. He was introduced to the game by his father, who was a club professional, and at the age of just 12, Garcia won his club championship. He went on to win the European Amateur Championship, Boys Amateur Championship and the Amateur Championship, along with securing a first professional title whilst still being an amateur – at the 1997 Open de Cataluna.
After turning professional, he became a star almost immediately. A win at the Irish Open was followed by a runner-up finish at the PGA Championship just a few months after turning pro. He would have to wait 18 years for his first major title, which came in 2017. Garcia was victorious at the Masters Tournament, becoming one of just four Spanish golfers to have won a major.
That win is one of 36 worldwide professional victories for Garcia. His success includes wins at the Players Championship, Dubai Desert Classic, Omega European Masters, AT&T Byron Nelson and a hat-trick of victories on home soil at the Andalucia Masters. Following a lengthy career on both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, Garcia made the move to the LIV Golf League in the summer of 2022, where he captains the Fireballs GC team.
Garcia is arguably best known for his Ryder Cup exploits. He has played ten times for Europe in the sport’s premiere team competition, and he is the record points scorer. Garcia has 28.5 points from 45 matches, and won the event with Team Europe on six occasions.
Sergio Garcia | An Overview
Personal Information
Name: Sergio Garcia Fernandez
Born: January 9, 1980
Nationality: Spain
Residence: Borriol, Castellon, Spain / Austin, Texas, United States
Career
Turned Pro: 1999
Professional Wins: 36
Highest World Ranking: 2 – November 9, 2008
Best Results In Majors
Best Finishes:
– Masters Tournament – WON (2017)
– PGA Championship – 2nd/T2 (1999, 2008)
– US Open – T3 (2005)
– Open Championship – 2nd/T2 (2007, 2014)
Professional Wins – 36
1997 (1) – Open de Cataluna
1999 (2) – Murphy’s Irish Open, Linde German Masters
2001 (4) – MasterCard Colonial, Buick Classic, Trophee Lancome, Nedbank Golf Challenge
2002 (4) – Mercedes Championships, Canarias Open de Espana, Telus World Skins Game, Kolon Cup Korea Open
2003 (1) – Nedbank Golf Challenge
2004 (3) – EDS Byron Nelson Championship, Buick Classic, Mallorca Classic
2005 (2) – Booz Allen Championship, Omega European Masters
2008 (3) – PLAYERS Championship, Castello Masters Costa Azahar, HSBC Champions
2010 (1) – Gary Player Invitational
2011 (2) – Castello Masters, Andalucia Masters
2012 (2) – Wyndham Championship, Iskandar Johor Open
2013 (1) – Thailand Golf Championship
2014 (1) – Commercial Bank Qatar Masters
2015 (1) – Ho Tram Open
2016 (1) – AT&T Byron Nelson
2017 (3) – Omega Dubai Desert Classic, Masters Tournament, Andalucia Valderrama Masters
2018 (2) – SMBC Singapore Open, Andalucia Valderrama Masters
2019 (1) – KLM Open
2020 (1) – Sanderson Farms Championship
Achievements and Awards
Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year – 1999
Byron Nelson Award – 2008
Vardon Trophy – 2008
European Tour Golfer of the Year – 2017
Sergio Garcia | What’s In His Bag?
Following years with both TaylorMade and Callaway, Garcia is now a free agent when it comes to kit. Titleist drivers, TaylorMade fairway woods, PING irons and Vokey Design wedges all feature in the Spaniard’s bag. He also uses a Scotty Cameron putter on the greens
You can check out our full piece on what’s in Sergio Garcia’s bag here.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Sergio Garcia
When and where was Sergio Garcia born?
Sergio Garcia was born in Borriol, Spain in January 1980. He took up the game from a young age, with his father being a club professional. At the age of just 12, Garcia won his club championship, showing he was destined for greatness.
When did Sergio Garcia turn professional?
Sergio Garcia turned professional in 1999 following his performance at the Masters where he was the low amateur. He then won on just his sixth appearance on the DP World Tour.
How many major titles has Sergio Garcia won?
As of February 2024, Sergio Garcia has won one major championship. That came at the Masters Tournament in 2017 and is one of 36 worldwide victories for the Spaniard.
Who is Sergio Garcia married to?
Sergio Garcia is married to Angela Akins, with the pair wed in 2017, just a couple of months after the Spaniard had won at Augusta National. Akins is a reporter for the Golf Channel, and the pair have two children, Azalea and Enzo.
Did you Know?
Ryder Cup Record Points Scorer
Garcia’s long and storied career has had many high points. A lot of those have come during his time playing for Europe at the Ryder Cup. He has played in ten editions of the competition, scoring at least a point on every appearance. Garcia is the all-time leading points scorer at the Ryder Cup, with an incredible 28.5 points to his name. Sir Nick Faldo is next with 25.
Major Prominence at 19
Following his low amateur performance at the Masters, and his Irish Open victory, Garcia then shot to prominence at the PGA Championship in 1999. At the age of just 19, he went toe-to-toe with Tiger Woods. He eventually lost out by a single shot, but will forever be remembered for his sprint and jump after an incredible recovery shot.
Spanish Quartet
Garcia is one of just four Spanish golfers to have ever won a major tournament. His 2017 win at the Masters saw him join Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal in doing so, with Jon Rahm joining the exclusive club a few years later.
Other Sergio Garcia Articles
Sergio Garcia must cough up $1 million-plus fines to rejoin DP World Tour
Garcia: I will be a DP World Tour member in 2025
Garcia’s last gasp Ryder Cup attempt denied by DP World Tour
What are your thoughts on Sergio Garcia? Should he come back to the DP World Tour? Can he find glory again at the top level? let us know with a post on X, formerly Twitter!
Matt Coles
Mention a European country, and Matt will tell you which resorts make the National Club Golfer Top 100s: European Resorts list. He might even throw in who designed the golf course and how many rooms the hotel has got at each one…
Matt got into the game of golf from a young age, following his old man to the local golf club. He fell for the sport, and now can’t seem to go a day without thinking about how to improve his game (Thanks Dad!). Matt has been a member of Howley Hall GC in Leeds since 2020, and is just about managing to maintain a single-figure handicap. He likes to remind people that he once broke 75, but won’t tell people that it was on a shortened course during the winter.
He moved to Leeds after graduating from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class Honours degree in Sports Journalism. Matt joined NCG after almost five years travelling the world with the Professional Squash Association, working on events in all four corners of the globe.
Matt currently plays a Cobra King LTDx driver and RadSpeed 3-wood. TaylorMade monopolise the rest of his bag, with a SIM UDI, M5 irons and both Milled Grind and HI-TOE wedges, along with a Monza Redline putter. He uses a Vice Pro Plus golf ball, because he’s a bit different…
Away from golf, Matt is a Manchester United fan, and a keen runner, having ran the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon (his first and possibly last), in May 2023.
