Well! ‘El Nino’ really whipped a storm at Augusta.
In what had to be one of the most bizarre admissions for some time in any sport Garcia hinted he may soon be departing on yet another sabbatical.
Garcia’s fiery Spanish temperament meant he’s never been one to hold back with his feelings and this was no more evident in speaking with the Spanish press attending this year’s Masters following a third round of 77.
A day earlier he was in the Augusta Media Centre happily discussing a second round 68 that had him well in contention to win that overdue first Major.
But his demeanour changed noticeable after Saturday’s score that included four bogeys in his opening five holes and then a further dropped shot at the seventh.
It was reported in print back in his homeland that he thought he could never win a Major.
Garcia was quickly quizzed on this after signing for a final Augusta round of 71 that included a first hole double bogey but then back-to-back birdies for an eventual share of 12th place.
And here’s a premature retirement remark if you ever heard on.
“Q. We saw the comments you made to the Spanish press yesterday about not thinking that you could ever win a major. Do you really believe that?
SERGIO GARCIA: Do you think I lie when I talk?
Q. No. Was it just more emotions after a really bad day? I think it was the oddest thing I’ve ever heard an athlete say, actually.
SERGIO GARCIA: Everything I say, I say it because I feel it. If I didn’t mean it, I couldn’t stand here and lie like a lot of the guys do. If I felt like I could win, I would do it.
Unfortunately at the moment, unless I get really lucky in one of the weeks, I can’t really play much better than I played this week and I’m going to finish 13th or 15th.
Q. What do you think it is that you are missing?
SERGIO GARCIA: Everything.
I could live without majors. I have no more options so tell me something I can do?”
A then very youthful Garcia had gone unexpectedly close to a first Major victory in 1999 in finishing runner-up to Tiger Woods in the PGA Championship.
But you could trace the first real frustration of letting glory slip at golf’s highest level back to 2007 when Garcia stood in the middle of the 18th fairway in the final round of The Open at Carnoustie.
You could see the steam coming out of Garcia as a volunteer up ahead took forever to rake two bunkers either side of the green, the first after Chris Di Marco had splashed out and the second following a bunker shot by Ireland’s Paul McGinley.
Garcia looked ready to wrap the rake around this chaps neck before eventually missing his par putt.
Padraig Harrington then denied Garcia the first of two Majors with the Dubliner winning the Carnoustie play-off and some 13 months in holing a monster putt to capture the PGA Championship.
Two years ago in The Open at St. Andrews Garcia seem so depressed he received a strong pep talk from friends and family midway through championship won by Louis Oosthuizen.
He became so disillusioned by the game, and with suggestions he was reeling over the break-up with Morgan-Leigh Norman and the only daughter of Greg Norman, Garcia took an enforced sabbatical.
“I had a very important talk with people that I care about and who care about me,” said García at the time.
“I thank them. It means so much to me. I hope that this is day one of a new attitude, a new Sergio, to try and enjoy playing golf again because I haven’t had that for a long time. I have been down for a long time.”
García returned as the request of Ryder Cup captain, Colin Montgomerie to be a member of his Celtic Manor backroom staff.
That helped but it also hurt having to travel to a golf tournament for a first time in his career without his golf clubs.
There were good signs last June, and in the midst of the euphoria of the World Cup, when the football mad Garcia and fellow Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal went five extra holes before Larrazabal captured the BMW International Open in Munich.
Far better news in the last two weeks of October with Garcia winning his own Castellon Masters by 11 shots and the capturing the following week’s Andalucian Masters.
Garcia first competed in the Masters in 1999 as the then British Amateur champion and three years after his Major’s debut at the 1996 British Open.
He first raised Augusta eyebrows in 2009 following with more petulant remarks following a final round 74.
“I don’t like this place. It’s took tricky and it’s too much of a guessing game.”
So a question: “What would you do differently? Garcia: “I don’t care. They can do whatever they want. It’s not my problem. I just come here and play, and then go home. That’s about it.’’
Garcia after a second round 68 in 2012: “I think it’s just an amazing place. It’s just one of those places that you always are looking forward to coming back and hopefully play good golf. I’m just delighted to be in a pretty good position at the moment.’’
It’s true Garcia’s relationship with Augusta National hasn’t been that good over the years.
The Spaniard’s shown he can compete at Augusta as evident also by an eighth in 2002 and a fourth two years later on.
But after his Easter Sunday outburst, maybe it’s time again time for a little help from his friends.
