Staff WriterSpain’s Sebastian Garcia finally stepped out of the shadows and into the winner’s circle with a gritty maiden HotelPlanner Tour victory at the Hangzhou Open, holding his nerve in a dramatic two-hole play-off at Hangzhou West Lake Golf Club.
Chasing leaders, swirling pressure, and a closing stretch that would rattle sturdier men – Garcia stared it all down, carding a composed final-round 67 to finish at 17-under-par alongside Peru’s Julian Perico and Austria’s Maximilian Steinlechner. From there, it turned into a shootout.
Steinlechner blinked first, bowing out on the opening play-off hole. Garcia and Perico returned to the 18th tee to settle it, and when the Peruvian found trouble off the tee the second time around, Garcia did what champions do – made a routine par look like gold.
“It’s a dream come true,” he said, barely bothering to hide the grin. “Five weeks ago, I was 35th in the Rankings and my target over the last two weeks was to win, so this is a dream for me. I was solid today and the putter was working well for me. I’ve been working with a new putting coach which has really helped me.”
Steady Climb, Big Payoff
Starting three back, Garcia wasted no time ripping into the deficit with a birdie at the second and three more to close his outward nine. A dropped shot on the 12th could have derailed the charge, but he shrugged it off with birdies at 14 and 17, posting a clubhouse total that asked an uncomfortable question of the field. Nobody could better it.
This wasn’t an out-of-the-blue week. Garcia has been lurking all year, quietly stacking four top-five finishes before finally kicking the door down here at the Hangzhou Open.
“I am so pleased to finally win after what’s been a long season,” he said. “I was quite relaxed during the play-off. I definitely felt more nervous during the last hole of regulation play. I am definitely going to celebrate this victory when I get home with all my friends and family.”
DP World Tour Return Within Reach
Garcia arrived in China ranked 21st on the Road to Mallorca – agonisingly one spot outside the golden top 20 who gain automatic promotion to the DP World Tour at season’s end.
This win changes everything. He rockets to seventh with just one tournament left, the sort of leap normally reserved for Olympic long jumpers.
“I played for seven years in a row on the DP World Tour, and this win will help me return next year which I am really excited about,” he said. “Returning just a year after I lost my card means a lot to me.”
Near Misses and Final Spots
Austrian Lukas Nemecz and Sweden’s Albin Bergstrom tied for fourth at 16-under, while Spain’s Victor Pastor finished solo sixth on 15-under – just enough to seal the final tee time in the Rolex Grand Final supported by The R&A later this month.
As for the season-long battle, the Road to Mallorca now pauses for breath before the grand finale at Club de Golf Alcanada from October 30 to November 2. For Garcia, it can’t come soon enough.
The Hangzhou Open may have been his breakthrough, but by the look of his form – he’s only just getting started.
