In just a few days Sergio Garcia will board his private jet and make the 10,605-mile flight from The Bahamas to Singapore to play in his first golf event of 2017, the SMBC Singapore Open. Until then though, he’s chilling out at Atlantis Resort, an annual tradition for the 37 year old, and he even found his way into the PokerStars Championship Bahamas Main Event.

Garcia, widely regarded as the best golfer to have never won one of golf’s four Major Championships, was first introduced to Texas Hold’em in 2008 by a friend and was instantly hooked.

“I found it quite challenging and intriguing. So I always like those kinds of things,” said Garcia, who didn’t cash in the Championship Main Event.

In 2011 he showed up the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure and played a few events. He came back in 2012 and finished 51st in the PCA Main Event for a $35,000 score, which pales in comparison to the $44,000,000 he’s earned playing golf over the course of his career. Not surprisingly, it’s the competition – and not the money – that drives his passion for poker.

“That’s one of the things I like about poker. That’s why I like to play tournaments when I play poker, because I like the competition side of it,” said Garcia. “I’m not really into cash games. I like to compete and show my patience and what I’m better at.”

Having been a golf prodigy since his early teens, Garcia has a keen understanding of what it takes to compete at the highest level of his sport and he believes some of that skill set translates from the greens to the felt.

“More than anything I think there’s two very clear ones. Patience; it’s huge in golf and is massive in poker. We all know how long you can go without playing a hand because you get nothing,” said Garcia. “And strategy is very important, to make sure that you know what you want to do. It’s very challenging, like the game of golf.”

Garcia has six career cashes including one this week in a $600 side event. Despite having a real passion for the game, Garcia doesn’t think he’ll be fitting more poker into his schedule.

“I would love to get better. I would love to play a little bit more, but at the moment I don’t have that much time,” said Garcia. “It’s difficult for me to find time, because what I enjoy most is playing live tournaments and playing live. I like to see the cards, see the opponents and everything.”

At 37, Garcia is no longer a young gun on the PGA or European PGA Tour but that doesn’t mean he’s going to be slowing down any time soon as he chases that long sought after Major Championship. As long as his body holds up, the Spaniard just doesn’t see a time in his life when he won’t be regularly hitting the links.

“It’s hard to say because I guess it all depends on how I’m doing physically. Obviously in golf we can go for a long time. Once you turn 50 you have the Champions Tour, and then you’re a youngster again when you’re 50 because all the other guys are older than you,” said Garcia. “If I’m physically well, I’ll probably keep playing some golf and I’ll probably have a little more time, so I’ m sure I’ll be able to play a little bit more poker here and there, but we’ll see.”