Aug 22 (Reuters) – Having endured the worst slump of his
career with a three-year victory drought that ended late last
season, Sergio Garcia could not be happier with his form heading
into this week’s Barclays tournament in Farmingdale, New York.
The Spaniard clinched his eighth PGA Tour title by two shots
at the rain-delayed Wyndham Championship in North Carolina on
Monday and, with it, a coveted spot on the European team for the
Sep. 28-30 Ryder Cup.
“I had a good week last week where I managed to do things
fairly well,” Garcia told reporters at Bethpage State Park on
Wednesday on the eve of the PGA Tour’s first FedExCup playoff
event.
“I got a nice win and was able to achieve a couple of big
things. Obviously I’m playing well coming into the playoffs and,
at the same time, I secured my Ryder Cup spot for Chicago which
was huge for me. I’m very excited about that.”
Former world number two Garcia won the biggest title of his
career at the 2008 Players Championship but failed to claim
another for three more years as he struggled with his form and
motivation.
He dropped out of the world’s top 50, costing him automatic
exemption for the game’s biggest events, and was ranked a lowly
78th at the start of last year before he slowly worked his back
up.
MUCH-NEEDED BOOST
Victories at the tail-end of the 2011 European Tour, at the
Castello Masters and the Andalucia Masters, gave Garcia a
much-needed boost and he has carried that form into 2012.
“You go through spots and through times in your career where
obviously you have up and downs,” said the 32-year-old, who was
once tipped to be Tiger Woods’s biggest challenger.
Continued…
