Sports

Garcia wins Andalucia Masters by 1 shot

Sergio Garcia held off fellow Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez to win Andalucia Masters by one shot.

31 October,2011 02:08 am

Garcia shook off two early bogeys with two birdies on a flawless back nine to card a level par 71 and finish with a 6-under total of 278 at the Valderrama course.Jimenez seized the lead early when Garcia three-putted the sixth hole and bogeyed the next. The 47-year-old Jimenez dropped shots on the 13th and 15th before making a pair of birdies to press Garcia until the last hole.Jimenez had a chance at pulling even with a birdie on the 18th, but his 15-foot putt fell short and Garcia calmly made the par-four.Richie Ramsay of Scotland, who led for the first two rounds, finished two shots back in third, with Irish golfer Shane Lowry a further shot behind in fourth.The 31-year old Garcia won the Castello Masters by 11 strokes last weekend to end a nearly three-year title drought.Once ranked No. 2, Garcia had dropped outside the top 75 after near-misses at the 2007 British Open at Carnoustie and 2008 PGA Championship at Oakland Hills.His fifth European Tour win on his home soil will lift him back into the top 20. It also qualified him for next weeks WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai and moved him to the top of the European Ryder Cup points race.Ryder Cup years are always special for me, he said. So hopefully we can make that team.

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