After losing out in a play-off less than a week ago in the Players Championship and Sergio Garcia hopes to build on his remarkable record on home soil this week at the Open de España.

The Spaniard has won five of his 11 European Tour titles on home soil – although only the first of those five back in 2002 came in his national Open.

Sergio Garcia (ESP) on the 5th green during the Pro-Am of the Open de Espana in Club de Golf el Prat, Barcelona on Wednesday 13th May 2015.
Picture: Thos Caffrey / www.golffile.ie

The 35 year old Ryder Cup star said: “It’s great to come back to Spain, and play at the Spanish Open – my own Open in my own country. I’m excited about it and hoping to do nice things here this week too.

“It’s been a while so it would be nice to get in the winner’s circle at the Spanish Open again.

“Obviously Miguel [Angel Jiménez] won it last year which was great, and it would be nice to get another Spanish winner and I will do my best.”

Garcia comes into the event on the back of some magnificent form, having missed only one cut in the last 12 months during which time he has been a runner-up four times, most recently to Rickie Fowler at last week’s Players Championship in Florida.

Not that the World Number Seven expects his performance at Sawgrass to have much bearing this week.

“Every week is different, we know how this game changes,” he added. “Every course is something different so I hope I’m one of the guys to beat if I’m on my game, but there are a lot of great players.

“I played a lot of great golf – I didn’t putt particularly great until Sunday, but even like that I still had a great chance of winning which is very positive. I hope to improve a little bit on my putting and play as well as I did last week and if I do that I should have a chance this week.”