LIV Golf League’s Fireballs GC will be out in full force at the International Series Macau presented by Wynn this week, and their captain Sergio Garcia emphasised the importance of the tournament for the quartet.

The LIV Golf Hong Kong winner, plus five-time champion on the Asian Tour, and his three teammates are coming into the event at Macau Golf and Country Club in fantastic form after LIV Golf Singapore at the weekend. Spain’s David Puig finished fourth, Abraham Ancer from Mexico was T10, youngster Luis Masaveu from Spain T14, and Garcia in T32 – resulting in a third successive Team Championship win.

Fireballs GC are the first team to win three times on the spin since the league expanded to a full 14-tournament schedule in 2023.

The team’s timing couldn’t be better, with three qualifying spots available this week for The Open at Royal Portrush in July, as the event is part of the Open Qualifying Series.

Spain’s Garcia said: “The next thing for us and for me is a little bit of rest the next couple of days, and then we play International Series in Macau. It is an important tournament for all four of us because if we play well, we have the possibility of not only winning on the International Series but also qualifying for The Open. It is another big week.

David Puig. Photo by Jason Butler/Getty Images.

Then a week’s rest and get back on the horse in Miami and just give it everything we have to perform as well as we are performing and give ourselves a shot at winning four in a row. Hopefully we will keep it going. To see the performance that my teammates put in to be able to get this win was pretty impressive.

“Obviously super proud to achieve something like that. It is not easy to do. Even though it looks like we made it look easy, it is definitely not. So many things have to go right with all of us playing well at the same time on tough conditions.”

John Catlin will return to Macau Golf and Country Club as the reigning champion having beat Puig in a thrilling play-off. It was a victory that kicked off his dominant 2024 season, culminating in the Asian Tour Order of Merit title.

Said the American: “I have loved playing there. I think the first Macau Open I did was 2015, I am very familiar with the golf course, it suits my game and has some good vibes, good memories, I think it is going to be a mega week again.

“Anytime you return to a place you enjoy it makes a big difference. Knowing the surroundings and having your favourite spots to eat always makes a big, big impact.”

This week’s 156-man field boasts a wealth of talent, including Major champions Patrick Reed from the United States, the 2018 Masters winner, and Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell – the 2010 US Open winner.

Other proven contenders include seven-time Asian Tour winner Anirban Lahiri from India, 11-time winner Gaganjeet Bhullar from India and Scott Hend, the Australian who is a 10-time champion.

Sergio Garcia. Picture by Thananuwat Srirasant/Getty Images.

All three have enjoyed success here in Macau, with Bhullar and Hend boasting two wins apiece and Lahiri one.

Eighteen LIV Golf players are also competing this week.