Sergio Garcia closing in on World Top 5

Spain's Sergio Garcia can take a major step towards his goal of becoming world number five player if he defends his Majorca Classic title successfully this week.

Garcia sits sixth on the rankings and can close up on world number five Ernie Els, with the South African still out injured and not likely to play until December.

Garcia, who was as high as four at the end of 2002, has found some consistency this season and having won the Booz Allen Classic on the PGA U.S. Tour and the European Masters in Europe, the 25-year-old is ready to move up.

He said on Wednesday: "My game is fine. It's been a positive year. I'm putting better. I've been working hard for the last couple of years.

"The game can get even better, but the important thing is I'm playing much more consistently."

Victory, this one worth $301,000 and 250,000 Ryder Cup points, would have other spin-offs.

He can leapfrog Britain's Kenneth Ferrie to take ninth place on the order of merit and also move up from third to second place on Europe's Ryder Cup table.

Garcia's fellow-countrymen Jose Maria Olazabal and Miguel Angel Jimenez could prove his chief opponents this week.

Olazabal, fifth on the Ryder Cup table, has redesigned the course and Jimenez won the 2003 Majorca Classic at Pula.

On the other side of the coin, a bevy of players will know their fate at the end of the week over whether they have playing cards for next season.

Only the top 116 will make it. Gregory Bourdy of France currently sits in the hot seat at 116.

October 20, 2005

This years news archive | Email this page to a friend | Return to top of page