Garcia returns to Valderrama to defend his title

Cape Town - Major winner Sergio Garcia will return to the Andalucía Valderrama Masters hosted by the Sergio Garcia Foundation to defend his title, as the tournament is once again held at Real Club Valderrama.

The 2017 Masters champion rounded off a special year at his favourite course as he lifted the trophy in his first tournament on home soil following his triumph at Augusta National, and the victory was event sweeter as it came in an event supported by his own charitable foundation.

This year's tournament will take place on October 18-21.

Garcia delighted Spanish fans with an emotional victory in Sotogrande last year, as he sealed his third win of the season to add to his maiden Major title at Augusta National as well as the Dubai Desert Classic trophy.

The home hero continued his love affair with the venue - where he became the first Spaniard to win a European Tour stroke play event in 2011 - as he lifted the trophy at the end of a week in which he was awarded Honorary Life Membership of both the European Tour and Real Club Valderrama.

The Sergio Garcia Foundation donated all the funds raised at the 2017 Andalucía Valderrama Masters to Madrid's Hospital Universitario La Paz to help support a makeover of the children's x-ray unit.

The money will be spent redesigning the unit into a welcoming, bright and relaxing environment for the children who receive treatment there.

"It was an amazing experience to be able to win in Spain, and in my first tournament back in Spain as the Masters Champion. To win at my favourite golf course, Valderrama, and at our own event that we do with our Foundation, it was the perfect mix. I'm really excited to go back there this year," said Garcia.

"The tournament is really important and it brings a lot to our Foundation so that we can help out as many people as we can. Last year we helped with building a new x-ray room in a hospital in Madrid. It's really important to us to and we're excited to hopefully raise as much as possible and help out again."

It is 21 years since Garcia's countryman and hero Seve Ballesteros captained Europe to a 14 ½ - 13 ½ win over the USA at Real Club Valderrama, and as the biennial tournament returns to Continental Europe for the first time since that memorable victory in 1997, the eight-time Ryder Cup star is excited about the prospect of bringing more glory to his favourite golf course.

"There are a lot of great tournaments coming up ahead of our tournament in Valderrama, so I'm very excited to hopefully play well going in to it," he said.

"There are a lot of Majors to come and obviously the Ryder Cup. It would be nice to get our hands on it again and bring it back to Valderrama where Seve was the Ryder Cup captain."