LIV GOLF ANDALUCIA

June 29, 2023

Sergio Garcia

Eugenio Chacarra

Abraham Ancer

Carlos Ortiz

Real Club Valderrama

Fireballs GC

Quick Quotes

THE MODERATOR: Let's welcome Fireballs GC to LIV GOLF Andalucía, we have Carlos Ortíz, Eugenio Chacarra, Captain Sergio García and Abraham Ancer.

How does it feel to be in Spain playing for your home country and really kind of the host for this event?

SERGIO GARCIA: Yeah, it feels amazing to be here in Spain and Valderrama and Andalucía, you know, it's just an unbelievable golf course. It's in such good shape. Always is. Beautiful weather. Today the course was definitely a little bit spicier with that breeze. It's in amazing shape, and we are all really excited to get going.

THE MODERATOR: Eugenio, tell us about your experience playing in your home country.

EUGENIO CHACARRA: I think he said everything pretty much. It's awesome to be back home, be where I grew up in Spain and I got lucky enough, I came here a lot of summers. So I'm used to the weather, used to the places, and I know Valderrama pretty good.

But what Sergio today, today with the wind, we call it in Spain, poniente (west), it's a little different, and it actually plays really hard. It was fun to see the course this way and we had a lot of fun, so I know my group had a lot of fun and just excited for the week to start.

THE MODERATOR: Abe and Carlos is this your first time playing Valderrama, and if so, tell us about your experience, what you think of it?

ABRAHAM ANCER: For me, first time here and I absolutely golf the golf course. Sergio told me a lot about it. Friends that played here before talked really highly about this golf course, and now I see why. They told me that I was going to love it.

I like this kind of golf. I like golf courses that you have to be very precise, not necessarily just bomb it out there but also know exactly where you need to hit it. I enjoy that kind of golf, and this golf course has it all. It's amazing. I'm happy to be here. I'm a big fan of the food, big fan of the culture. This country is amazing, so can't wait to get it started.

CARLOS ORTIZ: I love this place, spent last summer here, ten, 15 days, with Eugenio, too, and since I played last time, it's crazy how it's probably almost in the best, you know, better shape or the same shape that I played last year when nobody was here and they have it exactly the same. This place this place, unbelievable, the food is great. I want to come live here.

THE MODERATOR: We're at the halfway point of the season, so the race is really heating up for the individual and the team competition. Do you guys feel a little bit more pressure going into every tournament now knowing that you only have seven tournaments to make that charge?

SERGIO GARCIA: Yeah, I guess a little bit. But we know what we have to do at the end of the day, and it's just a matter of going out there, and, you know, playing well, believing in yourself and hopefully we all have a great finish of the season that will help us both individually and team-wise, so we are excited about that.

CARLOS ORTIZ: He said it right. I believe in you, too, Sergio.

THE MODERATOR: Abe, anything to add?

ABRAHAM ANCER: Definitely. I feel like I've let my team down a little bit. I haven't played my best this year, this season, but doing all the right things. Working hard. I know it will turn around. I tend to play better towards the half-end of the year, so hopefully we pick up team.

SERGIO GARCIA: He's coming. He's coming.

THE MODERATOR: Well, we are all rooting for you guys this week.

Q. Given your track record here and all the success you've had and the fact that a large part of the field probably has not seen the course till this week?

CARLOS ORTIZ: Yeah, we are all playing for second place (laughing).

Q. How much of an advantage do you feel like you do have here?

SERGIO GARCIA: I mean, you may say that I do have a little bit of an advantage because of the amount of times that I've played here; that it's my favorite golf course in the world and I love it.

But at the end of the day, it comes down to standing over the tee shots and the second shots and the putts and trusting it and pulling actually the right shot.

This course is the kind of course that if you're playing well, you know, it gives you opportunities but if you're a little bit off, then it's a struggle to save par. You still have to play really, really well.

And history is always nice but it doesn't mean that I'm starting 6-under par and the rest are starting even.

Q. And how much have you given advice-wise to the three guys? Have you told them basically everything you know about Valderrama or are you holding something back, because there is an individual competition.

SERGIO GARCIA: We've talked a little about it. I would say probably more to Abraham than Eugenio and Carlos because they have played it before, and they know what to expect a little bit. But yeah, we had chats about it.

But I definitely talked to Abraham a lot about coming here, and he was very anxious to know things about Valderrama because he knew that he was going to love it, and I think it's a course that sets up great for him and we're excited to see all of us play well.

Q. Abe, is there one piece of advice, one particular shot, maybe, that Sergio has mentioned out there that you're really going to pay attention to this week?

ABRAHAM ANCER: It's funny, because he can give me advice but we can play the golf course different. Like there's some holes that he might be a little more aggressive than I am just because there are many trees that we need to carry for you to take that line that maybe I can't pull off.

But it's just every hole, you can be very aggressive or you can be very conservative, and I feel like -- trying to think. Maybe some of the par 3s, I think pretty much all of them, I'm trying to remember -- which one is the one with -- I think it's 6?

SERGIO GARCIA: 6, with the little tier.

ABRAHAM ANCER: 6, we talked about that one. They have some sketchy -- some really sketchy pin placements that can happen, and if it gets firm, there are some spots that you can't miss it. Mainly we talked about that, some spots, how to attack and when you see this pin placement, you can't really go at it. Stuff like that. Not just one shot specifically but just a bunch really.

Q. In terms of a team competition, do you feel like you guys are the team to beat, and how much of an advantage do you have because of Sergio's experience here?

CARLOS ORTIZ: We are in good hands.

EUGENIO CHACARRA: Obviously helps to have Sergio on the team. Everybody will want Sergio, not just this week but pretty much every week.

So we are happy to have him, and hopefully he can win, he can have a good week and if that happens, I know our chances are high. So we are excited for the week and hopefully we can all help the team and we all play well.

Q. When you come here, do you feel Seve's presence when you come here?

SERGIO GARCIA: Yes, without a doubt. I think the 1997 Ryder Cup here was so special to have him was so special and what he was able to achieve as a captain here. I feel Seve's places many, many places. Every time you go to the British Open, you feel it, and you kind of sense it in the crowds, and obviously this place is no different. He has a lot of history here. I've been fortunate to have a lot of history here.

It's a shame he's not with us but we still think of him and we still feel it around all these courses.

Q. (Regarding changes to Valderrama and hole 17 since the WGC American Express.)

SERGIO GARCIA: Yeah, they did change it a little bit.

Q. Why?

SERGIO GARCIA: I guess it got to the point -- you have to realize, the courses, they settle, and as the years go by, some of the greens kind of fall off a little bit and I think that's what happened a little bit on 17, the right side kind of fell a little bit and it became really, really difficult to have a pin position on the front right at the speeds that you play Valderrama.

So obviously Patiño and all the members here a few years ago, they realized that, you know, that was getting -- at the end of the day, you still want to be able to use that pin position. So if you don't fix it, you can't use it. So what they did is they made it a little bit bigger, raised it a little bigger, and then you can put a flag there.

Yeah, you have to be very precise. Now, it's a little bit easier.

THE MODERATOR: What can we expect of the Spanish fans this week?

SERGIO GARCIA: A lot of energy, a lot of fire, a lot of balls.

EUGENIO CHACARRA: It's going to be loud on Sergio's game, I promise you that.

SERGIO GARCIA: Hopefully we give them a lot to cheer for, and I'm sure everyone is very excited to come, so a lot of passion.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you guys so much.