Sergio Garcia of Spain has won The European Tour Shot of the Month Award for October for a typically inventive stroke on his way to victory in the CASTELLÓ MASTERS Costa Azahar over his home course of Club de Campo del Mediterráneo.
 
Garcia, seeking his first victory on European soil in three years, had seen a four shot overnight lead evaporate by the sixth hole on the final day in Spain as Peter Hedblom of Sweden roared into title contention.
 
However Garcia was determined not to succumb on his own doorstep and, having regained the lead at the seventh, unleashed a brilliant second shot from a difficult lie, shaping it around trees and onto the eighth green for a cast-iron two-putt birdie four.
 
That shot ensured that Garcia was never in danger of being caught during the remainder of the final round and he went on to claim victory by three strokes from Hedblom, much to the delight of his family and friends.
 
That success proved to be the catalyst in helping Garcia find his winning touch as, just two weeks later, he triumphed again in the HSBC Champions in Shanghai to set the early pace in The Race to Dubai.
 
Second place in the October Shot of the Month contest went to England’s Steve Webster, who chipped in from thick rough at the seventh hole on the last day of the Portugal Masters while a deft chip from South African Charl Schwartzel in the final round of the Madrid Masters secured him third place.
 
Previous European Tour Shot of the Month winners from 2008 are: South Africa’s Richard Sterne (January), New Zealand’s Mark Brown (February), the Northern Irish duo of Graeme McDowell (March) and Darren Clarke (April), England’s Richard Finch (May), Martin Kaymer of Germany (June), Padraig Harrington of Ireland (July and August) and Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño (September).
 
The European Tour Shot of the Month Award is presented to the Tour Member for the shot judged to be the most outstanding played during each calendar month on The European Tour International Schedule. The winning shots from each month are entered into The 2008 European Tour Shot of the Year Award, which will be announced next month.