Repeatedly reminded he was the best living player never to win a major tournament, Mr. Garcia, at 37 and playing in his 19th Masters, excised these ghosts on a classic, sun-splashed Augusta Sunday, overcoming fellow European and Ryder Cup teammate Justin Rose on the back nine and then winning, in what amounted to match play, on the first hole of sudden death.
The King of Augusta himself, six-time champion Jack Nicklaus, wrote: "Congratulations to Sergio Garcia on his first Masters victory and first major!" before linking to a meaty tome lauding Garcia's achievement.
Garcia had been without a major win after participating in 73 major tournaments, which was a big factor in giving him that title.
After two early birdies handed him a three-shot lead, the wheels appeared to come off around the turn, as Garcia followed back-to-back bogeys on 10 and 11 with another wayward tee shot at 13.
Sergio Garcia, the dashing Spaniard who somehow managed to become 37 years old before winning his first major championship, will make the most of his new accomplishment. If years go by and they still haven't won a major, however, these young stars could be candidates for the title.
Jay Haas remains the player with the most major appearances without a win, with 87 major starts. He has two runner-up finishes and five top-5s. They also finished among the top 12.
There are others to whom that label applies, but none as obvious as Garcia was before Sunday.
"I don't know if it hasn't sunk in or something but it doesn't feel that different", he said. "I've been reminded probably 300 times that I haven't won a major this week".
After almost two decades of heartache in the tournaments that define careers, Garcia finally showed the mettle to win a major.
Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports
"I'm sure he helped a little bit with some of those shots or some of those putts", Garcia said.
The Northern Irish golfer has four majors to his name, but lusts after the Masters, a tournament which he came so close to conquering in 2011, but which instead conquered him. "Obviously, I like where I stand now better".
"It was nice to see those guys out there battling and battling hard". So that's the way I looked at it. Now I'll have to answer ...
"I played nicely on the front. But I can live with that".
In a press conference after his victory he admitted: "I think the problem was, because where my head was at sometimes, I did think about if I was ever going to win one". "I've had so many good chances, and either I lost them or someone has done something extraordinary to beat me".
"They are my idols my whole life", said Garcia, who was born the year the late Ballesteros won his first of two Masters in 1980. "Distance control is so key here and I was two yards into the rough so many times today and it makes a huge difference on controlling the distance out of the rough".
It's been a long time coming, and it would come as little surprise that Sergio Garcia had most likely dismissed that "everything comes to those who waits" saying a long while back.
"I feel motivated for the summer and I will be moving on and setting goals very quickly after this".
Starbucks barista begs customers not to order Unicorn Frappuccino
Given the hype surrounding it, we have a feeling that hunting down this drink will be just as hard as hunting down a real unicorn. The Unicorn Frappuccino will only be around through the weekend, or until stores run out. "It tastes nothing like unicorn ".
Comments