FIREBALLS TO FACE MAJESTICKS IN FRIDAY’S QUARTERFINALS IN MIAMI
MIAMI – Fireballs GC Captain Sergio Garcia had his choice of several opponents during Wednesday’s selection show at the Team Championship.
Ultimately, he decided to face a few of his former Ryder Cup teammates.
Garcia and the Fireballs selected Majesticks GC as their opponent for Friday’s Quarterfinals at Trump National Doral Miami. That means Garcia will take on Henrik Stenson in the Captain’s Singles.
In the other two matches, Eugenio Chacarra got the nod in Singles to play against Sam Horsfield, while Mexico Olympic teammates Abraham Ancer and Carlos Ortiz will face the Majesticks’ other co-captains, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood, in Foursomes.
The team that wins at least two matches will advance to Saturday’s Semifinals.
Asked to explain why he opted to face the Majesticks, Garcia replied: “I think every team is strong. No one of them is going to be easy. I just felt like our matchups could work nicely against Majesticks.
“Obviously we know what they are capable of, but they also know what we can do, and we are in a good moment of the season for us.”
Indeed, the Fireballs will tee off on the Blue Monster with plenty of momentum. They finished second at LIV Golf Chicago and followed that with a team victory last Sunday at LIV Golf Jeddah. It’s the Fireballs’ second team victory of the season, but it wasn’t enough to move them out of the sixth seed.
In addition, all four players are in good form, with top-20 finishes in each of the last two starts. Ancer also made the podium in Bedminster, and Garcia was fifth individually in Jeddah.
Garcia could have chosen other lower-ranked teams such as Cleeks GC or HyFlyers GC, but the Majesticks were the chalk pick as the 11th seed and have not made much noise in 2023 as one of two teams that failed to reach the podium in any tournament.
But with Stenson, Poulter and Westwood, they have three players whom Garcia knows well. And he has plenty of confidence with Ancer and Ortiz against the legendary English duo.
“I would put Abraham and Carlos against anybody,” Garcia said. “We were joking about it yesterday, and I was like, I would put them against Brooks and Bryson, and I will be very comfortable with it.
“So I think that it’s a very, very strong team. Obviously, Eugenio is a wonderful player and he’s got so much potential, and a guy that can shoot a really, really low round any given day.
“It’s not going to be an easy match. Not of them are going to be. But I have a lot of faith in my guys.”