Sergio Garcia all set to host Open de Espana at Valderrama

Sergio Garcia is looking forward to hosting the Open de Espana at Real Club Valderrama this week.

The 36-year-old Spaniard won the last European Tour event at the course - the 2011 Andalucia Valderrama Masters - and it is one of his favourite venues.

The world No 16 said: "It's amazing, there's nothing like it. To be able to be the host of the Spanish Open, one of the oldest opens we have on the European Tour, and also here at Valderrama - it's so iconic - I love it.

"It's really a great experience and I'm sure it will be a great tournament.

"When you come back to somewhere where you have done well, and feel comfortable and you know what you're doing, it always helps so hopefully there will more of that this week."

Garcia, who is hosting the event through the Sergio Garcia Foundation, is one of several top players in a field that includes his Ryder Cup team-mates Martin Kaymer and Thomas Bjorn, in-form Spaniard Rafa Cabrera Bello and Soren Kjeldsen, who shared seventh place at last week's Masters.

Two-time major champion Kaymer had been due to head to the RBC Heritage in the United States this week, but changed his plans due to the lure of playing at Valderrama.

Kaymer said: "I was supposed to play Hilton Head the week after the Masters but then I heard that this tournament was coming to Valderrama, so I thought 'I have to come here'. It is a very nice golf course.

"It is so about ball striking here. You need to hit fairways and small greens. You have to be very strategic and I really enjoy that. I've done well here in the past too so those are all good reasons to come back.

"It is a golf course you would like to win on during your career. Valderrama, Wentworth, St Andrews. These are the core of the European Tour, so I wanted to give it another go."

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