89R14340 JRI-D
 
  By: Leach H.R. No. 339
 
 
 
R E S O L U T I O N
         WHEREAS, Professional golfer and Austin resident Sergio
  García has compiled an impressive list of accomplishments during
  his illustrious career; and
         WHEREAS, Born in Castellon, Spain, Mr. García took up golf at
  the age of three; he produced one of the most accomplished amateur
  careers in the history of the sport, claiming a total of 21
  tournament titles, including the Topolino World Junior
  Championship, the European Amateur Championship, and the
  Catalonian Open Championship, a professional event; in 1996, at age
  16, he ranked third in scoring on the PGA Tour as an amateur, and two
  years later, he won the British Amateur Championship; and
         WHEREAS, Mr. García turned pro in 1999; nicknamed "El Niño"
  for taking the golf world by storm, he collected his first
  professional win at the Murphy's Irish Open and went on to earn five
  more tournament titles and a top-20 ranking by the end of his rookie
  year; he also made his first of 10 Ryder Cup appearances and gained
  acclaim for his performance at the PGA Championship, where, as the
  youngest participant in the tournament since 1921, he came within
  one stroke of upsetting winner Tiger Woods; and
         WHEREAS, Renowned for his fearless approach on the course,
  Mr. García has taken home 11 PGA Tour titles and 16 on the European
  Tour in his career; in 2002, he achieved the rare feat of finishing
  in the top 10 at all four PGA major tournaments, and he received
  both the Vardon Trophy and the Byron Nelson Award in 2008; he
  enjoyed a banner season in 2017, when he was the European Tour
  Golfer of the Year and donned the green jacket at the Masters
  Tournament after triumphing in a playoff at the major; his 25 match
  victories rank as the highest ever in the Ryder Cup, and in 2024, he
  recorded his inaugural tour victory in the LIV Golf league; and
         WHEREAS, Off the course, Mr. García has distinguished himself
  through his philanthropic work; he and his wife established the
  Sergio & Angela Garcia Foundation and FORE Kids ATX, which has
  raised nearly $5 million for entities that provide health care and
  support services to children and families in Central Texas; and
         WHEREAS, With his charismatic playing style and dedication to
  excellence, Sergio García has inspired golf fans across the globe,
  and it is a privilege to join in recognizing this exceptional
  athlete; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas
  Legislature hereby honor professional golfer Sergio García for his
  myriad achievements and extend to him sincere best wishes for the
  future; and, be it further
         RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
  prepared for Mr. García as an expression of high regard by the Texas
  House of Representatives.