Former champion Sergio Garcia goes into round three of Omega Dubai Desert Classic on Saturday five shots behind the leader Thomas Detry.
For the Spanish golfer who has won 36 international tournaments including the Masters during a career spanning more than two decades, he told Arabian Business how he loves playing in Dubai, what he’s been up to during lockdown and his targets for 2021.
“It’s exciting to be back in Dubai and playing on the European Tour, which I haven’t played for a while because of everything that has been going on; it’s good to be back and get going and keep the momentum,” he said.
Garcia won the Dubai Desert Classic as an Omega ambassador in 2017 while past champions also include Tiger Woods, Seve Ballesteros, Ernie Els and Rory McIlroy.
Despite the event being invitation-only due to Covid restrictions, the line-up for the event is world-class. Joining Garcia are Ryder Cup stars Tommy Fleetwood, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Paul Casey, and Major champions Ernie Els, Shane Lowry, Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Danny Willett and Padraig Harrington.
Garcia said that he has focused on training as much as possible during the lockdown, and is philosophical about having missed The Masters due to testing positive for Covid-19 himself in November 2020.
“The timing was unfortunate, without a doubt, but we knew it was a risk. I missed the Masters but it is just one of those things that happens. Luckily my wife and I both recovered nicely and nothing happened to our family. It’s the reality of the world we live in; you just have to be careful, take care and keep practicing.”
Garcia spent most of lockdown in Austin, US, acknowledging that it “wasn’t too bad… I was able to keep practicing and played a bit on the US Tour.”
Talking about the Dubai Desert Classic, he said: “This is obviously a course that I enjoy and I like playing – and I’ve done well here in the past which definitely can help. This year is a big year with a lot of big tournaments to be played with The Ryder Cup, the Olympics and the Majors, so we’ll see what this week holds. Everyone knows how much I love The Ryder Cup and I would love to be a part of a few more – and that’s obviously one of the biggest goals of the year for me.”
Garcia, who held off Henrik Stenson to win the event by three strokes in 2017 before later going on to win that year’s Masters, has spent some of his time in Dubai familiarising himself with the course and preparing to compete.
“I have been down to the course played nine holes, the course has a few new tees here and there, which will make it more challenging. The rough looks quite thick, and it is juicy in spots so you will have to be careful and drive the ball as well as possible. If you drive the ball well you can find good birdie opportunities.”
Garcia has been a brand ambassador for the titular sponsor of the event for 20 years, making the event particularly close to his heart.
“Golf, like watches, is about consistency and accuracy and Omega and I have had a great relationship together and winning the tournaments in Dubai and Europe as their ambassador is very special. I enjoy the longstanding relationship and love the watches.”
He added that despite the challenges of the past year, he holds on to an internal drive to keep performing to his fullest potential.
“At the end of the day, we are competitors, and we love playing golf. Yes, I have a family now and my goals have shifted a little bit in terms of what is important, but it doesn’t mean that when I am out there I don’t want to do my best. I always try to be better and that competitiveness is always there.
“As long you have that inside, you will always keep trying. During high pressure moments the most important thing is to control your breathing, and be as positive and aggressive as possible. When you manage to do this, it is fun. There is pressure, but these are the moments we practice for.”
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