Garcia off to winning ways in the Dubai World Championship as his team win the Pro Am

Playing in the afternoon shotgun, the Emirates fourball saw off the challenge of 35 other teams in the ‘Par is your Friend’ format to win overall on a countback on eighteen under par from the Al Naboodah 1 team of Jay Varkey, Allan Stanton, Tejan Fadlu-Deen and Garcia’s Spanish compatriot Alvaro Quiros.

One shot back in third place was the Emirates 2 team of Brian Britnor, Katsumi Matsunaga and Osamu Nakamura – led by Ryder Cup star Ian Poulter – on seventeen under who played in the morning shotgun.

“It was all down to my playing partners,” smiled a typically modest Garcia during the awards dinner held at Nasimi Beach, Atlantis The Palm as players, caddies and officials enjoyed a casual beach party on the eve of the grand finale of The European Tour season.

In the opening round of the Dubai World Championship presented by DP World, Garcia will tee off today (Thursday) alongside Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn (12.00pm), Quiros is off at 10.55am with South Africa’s Thomas Aiken, Poulter will play with Joost Luiten at 10.45am.

Pro-Am results (Morning Shotgun): 1. -17 Emirates 2 (Ian Poulter) – Brian Britnor, Katsumi Matsunaga, Osamu Nakamura; 2. -14 Rolex 2 (Thorbjorn Olesen) – Kouruch Achtari, Pasha Bakhtiar, Kamil Kosta; 3. -13 ITP (Raphael Jacquelin) – Harry Santa-Olalla, James Rawlins, Gareth Lloyd-Jones.

(Afternoon Shotgun) 1. -18 Emirates 3 (Sergio Garcia) – Stephen Wade, Sudhir Vora, Paul Barbone; 2 – 18 Al Naboodah 1 (Alvaro Quiros) – Jay Varkey, Allan Stanton, Tejan Fadlu-Deen; 3. -15 Atlantis (Gonzalo Fernandez Castano) – Denzil Lawson, Kym Hewett, Patrick Wong.