Sergio Garcia, the World Number 12 and one of Europe’s most influential figures during last month’s Ryder Cup victory over the United States, heads a high quality cast, including fellow Spaniard José Maria Olazábal and new dunhill links champion, Stephen Gallacher, in the second Mallorca Classic at Pula GC, Majorca.
Garcia, who collected four and a half points out of five at Oakland Hills Country Club in Michigan, is certain to be one of the main attractions after that five-star performance while Olazábal is aiming to go one better than in 2003, when he finished a shot behind winner and fellow countryman, Miguel Angel Jiménez.
The two Spanish Ryder Cup players are joined in the €1,000,000 event by Scotland’s Gallacher, who birdied the first play-off hole against Northern’s Ireland’s Graeme McDowell to capture the dunhill links championship over the Old Course at St Andrews.
Another Scottish winner of that prestigious title, Paul Lawrie, will tee up at the Mallorca Classic along with a host of European Tour winners, including last year’s joint third placed players, Gary Emerson and Jamie Spence of England.
With three weeks remaining on The European Tour International Schedule, the Mallorca Classic represents an outstanding chance for a number of players to qualify for the season-ending Volvo Masters Andalucia. Only the leading 60 players on the Volvo Order of Merit after next week’s Open de Madrid are eligible.
Meanwhile the next two weeks in Majorca and Madrid will also help decide who retains – or gains - their cards by securing a place in the top 115 on the Volvo Order of Merit.
