In as much as the hype in Canada surrounded the play of Abbotsfords Adam Hadwin it was the impressive play of Sergio Garcia that had everyone talking after taking his final shot.
His hopes of wearing the ever famous “Green Jacket” became a reality, but not before they seemed to be fading in the final round being two shots behind and six holes to play.
As with many of my shots he hammered one of his tee shots off a tree into an azalea bush which was some of the bad luck that had been following him of late.
Rather than just give up he focused and managed to figure out how to make par followed by having a putt five feet away from winning he sent his birdie putt off to the right.
It’s been a long journey mostly uphill for the young 37 year-old from Spain who started playing golf at the young age of three being taught by Victor his Father who was a club pro.
He continued to learn and won his first club championship at the young age or 12 and a short four years later he managed to set a record as the youngest player to make the cut at the 1995 European Tour event called the Turespana Open by the Mediterranean.
Later the club record was eventually broken by amateur Jason Hak in 2008 at the UBS Hong Kong Open managing to beat Garcia’s record by 107 days.
Garcia turned pro in 1999 after shooting the lowest amateur score in the 99 Masters, winning his first title on the European Tour in only his 6th start as a pro also in 99 at the Irish Open.
This event comes after two solid decades of frustration that normally see young golfers sell the clubs and take up another sport, but not Sergio.
He was tied heading into the back nine and most had written him off figuring it would be some other golfer that would wear green, but as Garcia entered the back nine he knew he was in the drivers seat.
Not since 1998 has it come down to the last two players on the course and heading into the 18th hole has it even been two players so close.
The final championship saw him over come a two-shot deficit against Justin
Rose, managing to win in the first hole of a sudden death playoff round.
He had two impressive and decisive moments to remember with the first being on the par 5, one on par and the other having a 3-under 69.
He achieved world wide recognition on the golf tour in 1999 at the PGA Championship where he went head-to-head with Tiger Woods coming up a bit short finishing second.
He has been a member of every European Ryder Cup team dating back to 1999 with one exception that being in 2010 and his record (to date) at the Ryder Cup is 19-11-7 and has been on five winning teams.
The former Masters Champion Charl Schwartzel managed to birdie the 18th for a 68 finishing third.
The Leader-board saw the Golfers finish as follows:
- Sergio Garcia -9
- Justin Rose -9
- Charl schwartzel -6
- Thomas Pieters/Matt Kuchar -5 (tied for 4th)
