Masters: Emotional Sergio Garcia in exalted company at long last

“It’s certainly not been the golf that I wanted. Anyone who can get to number one in the world for over a year I think has the ability to bounce back and hopefully I will”. And then he kept winning.

Five years ago, Garcia claimed he was not good enough to win a major after shooting a three-over-par 75 at the 2012 Masters to drop out of contention.

Of course that was the exuberance of youth, but unfortunately for Garcia, it haunted him for the rest of his career.

Garcia has played in eight Ryder Cups and is something of a talisman for Europe. But his aggressive, yet accurate style of play and enthusiastic nature nearly demanded that he should be able to join the exclusive club of major winners one day.

“He did mention a couple of things that kind of touched my heart a little bit”.

“The problem with sport’s obsession with the departed is that no matter how well-meaning and respectful the intention, it reduces even the greatest achievements to cheap drama”.

The same goes for golf. “To be there as Masters champion, it’s going to be extra special”.

Now, Garcia is counted among the greats. It had looked as though it was slipping away from him as a three-shot lead early on in the final round disappeared as he wobbled at the start of Amen Corner.

But the most important message Garcia received may have come before he took his first swing. But he recovered to make a par. Rose was poised to deliver a knockout on the par-5 13th when Garcia went left beyond the creek and into the bush. Garcia had another mistake on No. 18 as he missed a short putt with a chance to win the tournament, but he got another shot in the playoff, and he took advantage of it with a clutch drive, a terrific approach and a steady putt.

Sergio Garcia did a lot of things when he sank that 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th green to win the Masters on the first hole of sudden-death playoff Sunday at Augusta National. Garcia said he thought of the late Seve Ballesteros while overcoming setbacks that would have derailed his less confident self.

Sergio Garcia is the proud owner of a nice new green jacket after his dramatic win at the Masters on Sunday. The list of the best players in golf to never win a major. Hai Do was the editor.

Heading into Sunday’s final round of the Masters, Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler were each in position to bring home the green jacket playing in the day’s penultimate pairing. In most sports (other than that guy with the New England Patriots), age 37 is past retirement age. After he won, the Seve Ballesteros Foundation wrote in a tweet, “We are all sure Seve pushed you from above!”