Returning to PGA Catalunya Resort, near Barcelona, for the two-year anniversary of his first Junior Golf Academy, Sergio Garcia has advised students to focus on having fun while playing golf.
The 34-year-old Ryder Cup legend, whose last visit to the European Tour Destination was for the 2014 Open de España in May, celebrated the second year of his academy by conducting golf clinics with local school children and a group from Consorci Sant Gregori in nearby Girona, an organisation that helps individuals with special educational needs.
Since it was inaugurated in November 2012 at the venue ranked number one in Spain*, in collaboration with Fundación Sergio Garcia, the academy has given children from all walks of life the opportunity to play golf, develop their skills and maximise their full athletic potential.
Asked, what advice he would give children aspiring to follow in his Ryder Cup-winning footsteps, Sergio said: “The most important thing at their age is to have fun and enjoy golf, tennis, football and other sports. In my opinion if they enjoy themselves now, like it, and decide they want to train a lot in the future, then they will have an opportunity to become a great player – maybe even on the Tour.”
He continued: “Every time I visit PGA Catalunya Resort to see the progress of the Academy it is pleasing to see the children having fun playing and enjoying golf. The coaching staff is doing an excellent job and the students have improved a lot. They look more mature and more accomplished. I’m constantly surprised by how children of five or six years old feel so passionate about this sport.”
Julio Delgado, CEO of PGA Catalunya Resort, said: “Sergio’s infectious enthusiasm for sport – and particularly golf – has helped inspire both our students, who have progressed, as he indicates, in leaps and bounds, and our professional coaches, who work diligently throughout the year to help golfers of all ages enjoy the game even more.”
*Crowned No.1 Golf Course in Spain by influential rankings website, Top100GolfCourses.co.uk and highest ranked Spanish resort in Golf World magazine’s prestigious Top 100 Golf Courses in Continental Europe listing
PGA Catalunya Resort www.pgacatalunya.com