Fireballs GC looks to build momentum in Singapore

HONG KONG - At this point last year, Fireballs GC was entering the week with two consecutive team victories and would add a third at Sentosa Golf Club, securing an unprecedented three-peat. So far in 2026, things haven’t gone quite as smoothly for the all-Spanish team. They started with a T4 finish in Riyadh but have since finished 12th in Adelaide and 8th in Hong Kong — results not quite up to their lofty standards. 

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This week at Aramco LIV Golf Singapore, the Fireballs see a week at Sentosa as a chance to build some momentum at a course they’ve played extremely well at in the past. In the Fireballs’ pre-tournament press conference, captain Sergio Garcia spoke about team’s thought process heading into the event. 

"Obviously that's what we all try to do, play our best from the beginning, but unfortunately sometimes that doesn't happen, and you've just got to keep working hard at it and keep believing and then wait for your moment to arrive," Garcia said.

Josele Ballester, the team’s youngest player, will be making his debut at Sentosa, but has the power game needed to thrive on a tough setup.

"Being good in strokes gained off the tee, it's definitely a stat that is pretty important this week," Ballester said. "If I drive it straight, it will probably be a good week." 

Ballester has the added benefit of playing alongside Garcia, who won the 2018 SMBC Singapore Open at Sentosa. During practice rounds, Ballester has already asked his captain and mentor plenty of questions.

"He's had a lot of success on this golf course, and it's always nice to hear advice from him,” Ballester said. 

The Fireballs also have an in-form David Puig to rely on. Puig has started his 2026 campaign with two top 10s in the first three events.

"I think I had a good off-season, played pretty good before LIV started in January, as well, and had two good weeks here on the league," he said. "Obviously trying to qualify for some majors and obviously want to do well here on LIV, as well. It's definitely really important to have that consistency, and hopefully I can keep playing good and making lots of birdies." 

Sentosa's Serapong course is a demanding layout that heavily favors elite ball-strikers. As they proved last season, the Fireballs boast exactly the kind of players capable of rising to the challenge on a track like this.

"It's one of those courses that if you have a solid week, it kind of tells you where your game is at... If you do a good job this week and with ball-striking and around the greens and stuff like that, it definitely builds your confidence up a little bit," added Puig.

Luis Masaveu, who finished T14 here last year, his best ever LIV Golf result, is ready to build off his strong course debut.

"Last year it was my best performance," Masaveu said. "It's a great course. I think it suits my game. You have to hit it long, but at the same time, you have to hit it straight. You have to be very good off the tee, which is my strength... It's a course where you have to play well, and I'm looking forward to improving my performance from last year." 

So far in 2026, Masaveu ranks second in the league in Strokes Gained: Total in the final round and has played the three Sundays to a cumulative 19 under.

" I haven't got off to good starts the other rounds," Masaveu said. "I just need to try to do what I've been doing Sundays more, but start better." 

Garcia isn’t worried about the slow start and praised the team's dynamic and the work ethic of his young teammates.

"These guys are great," Garcia said. "They're very easy to get motivated. They're young, they're hungry, they work hard. They're great players... I do obviously see that energy they have, that will to play hard and practice hard and that hunger of achieving things... It's nice to see that fire in their eyes. All three are amazing players. I know that they're going to be unbelievable. I'm just excited to be here for the ride and enjoy with them."