The first hole-in-one of Sergio Garcia’s European Tour career has been voted by fans as The European Tour Shot of the Month for January…
Garcia struck the perfect seven iron shot on the 186-yard 12th hole during the first round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, with the ball pitching on the back plateau of the green and, aided by cries of “go in” from the Spaniard, rolling into the cup.
The shot, which also won Garcia a three-night stay at the Emirates Palace every year for the rest of his life, sparked joyous celebrations on the tee and was the undoubted highlight of his opening round of 69. He went on to finish in a tie for 12th place to continue a fine run of recent form which has not seen the Spaniard finish outside the top 12 in a stroke play event on The European Tour since last August.
Thirty-two per cent of fans of My European Tour users voted Garcia’s ace The European Tour Shot of the Month for January through www.europeantour.com, ahead of some strong competition, with the next two places also filled by efforts from the same tournament.
The second most popular shot, gaining 26 per cent of the votes polled, was by Robert Rock during the final round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, where he held off the challenges of Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods to collect the biggest victory of his career.
After driving into the fairway bunker down the left of the 14th hole, Rock played a terrific second shot as he struck the ball cleanly from the sand and found the green some ten feet or so from the hole. He duly rolled in the putt for a birdie which extended his lead over the chasing pack, and he subsequently went on to claim his second European Tour title.
Third in the voting, with 17 per cent of the votes, was another hole-in-one, this time from Graeme McDowell. The Northern Irishman came to the same 12th hole Garcia had aced three days previously and promptly preceded to follow him into the cup.
Garcia’s ace is the first shot to go forward to the 2012 Shot of the Year competition, and he will now no doubt look to emulate Rory McIlroy, whose tee shot on the par three tenth hole at Congressional Country Club in the final round of the US Open Championship was voted The 2011 European Tour Shot of the Year.
