Oh, Sergio! Can Garcia grab victory again at the Sanderson Farm Championship?

When you think of Spain, there are certain things that spring to mind quicker than others. Possibly it is their laid back, laissez-faire attitude, typically waking up later, having a siesta in the afternoon, before things really get going in the evenings when the temperature is a bit more manageable, where a Cerveza or sangria might be consumed. Maybe you’d think about the Spanish passion, such as salsa dancing, or the running of the bulls in Pamplona. Or maybe the amazing food, such as Paella or Jamón ibérico. All may be stereotypes to a degree, but for non-Spanish citizens, this is what we believe to be the key parts of their culture.

Of course, another area where the Spanish excel is in sport. In soccer, they have two of the most famous and well-supported clubs in the entire world, Barcelona and Real Madrid. Both might be falling on hard times currently (the Catalan side in particular) but both are two of the most recognisable sports teams on the planet.

In tennis, Rafael Nadal has been one of the greatest ever male players to ever play the sport. He has 20 Grand Slams to his name, joint top of the all-time list with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. 13 of his titles have come at the French Open, which would certainly indicate he is the best clay-court player we’ve ever seen.

In the world of Formula One, Fernando Alonso is still going strong, despite having recently turned 40. He has 32 wins, 97 podium finishes, and most importantly two world championships to his name. While he might not be winning races in quite the frequency he once was, this season has proved he hasn’t slowed down just yet.

In the world of golf, there are a few stand out names. Of course, the first great Spanish player was Seve Ballesteros, who had an impressive five majors during his illustrious career. Then there was Jose-Maria Olazabal, who took home the Masters trophy twice in the 1990s. The current world number one is a Spaniard, Jon Rahm, who this year took home his first major title by winning the U.S. Open. So clearly Spain has no trouble producing top talent in the sport of golf.

There is another current Spanish player, who is a major championship winner; Sergio García. The man known as El Niño has also won a number of other PGA Tour events, European Tour and Asian Tour titles, including the 2020 Sanderson Farms Championship. This win meant that García has now won PGA Tour events in three separate decades, which really highlights his longevity. Supporters of his and sports betting fans will be using the odds calculator on their favourite betting apps to see if he can win Sandersons Farms again this year. Is it possible? Let’s find out.

Career so far

While García has been around the Tour for a very long time, it’s safe to say his career has been full of ups and downs. Yes he has 11 Tour wins in his time as a professional, but they have been fairly well spread out, with the Spaniard never having a year where he was the best around. At points, he has dropped down to as low as 124th in the world, which seems crazy when you think about it. His crowning moment has to be the 2017 Masters, which he won in a sudden-death playoff against Justin Rose. It was his 74th major appearance, and many had wondered whether he might ever win one of the big four tournaments. He proved his doubters wrong and finally got the major monkey off his back.

2020 Sanderson Farms Championship

Fast forward to 2020, and a year where the golfing calendar was majorly disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Sandersons Farm Championship (formerly known as the Magnolia Classic) went ahead, with García one of the big names competing. He shot an incredible -19 but was challenged all the way by Peter Malnati. He was able to hold off the American and lifted his first PGA Tour trophy since 2017.

Can he make it two in two?

It is not long until the 2021 edition of the Sandersons Farm Championship is due to take place, with the first tee-off taking place on September 30th. Before then, García has a little thing called the Ryder Cup to concentrate on, as he is a key part of the European side. They are the current holders but face a difficult fight as the tournament is being held in Wisconsin.

If García can find some good form playing for Europe, he could well be in contention to be challenging once again for victory in the Sanderson Farm Championship. It would be great to see him win it in consecutive years, so all eyes will be on the man from Borriol when the tournament kicks off in a few weeks.