Garcia played brilliantly in brutal conditions, and anyone who says he can’t win a major doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Oh, wait, the only one saying he can’t win a major is Garcia himself.
Trudging off from the Masters this year, the Spaniard made a strange admission: “I’m not good enough. I don’t have the thing I need to have. In 13 years, today the conclusion is I need to play for second or third place.”
Sergio is an emotional fellow and he says whatever pops into his mind, but everyone close to him — his caddy, his sponsors, his father and swing coach Victor Garcia — had to cringe at him saying something so ludicrous. The guy is just 32 and has had many close calls in majors with eight top-fives and two seconds.
He caught the edge of the cup with a putt on the 72nd hole of a British Open one year that would have won a Claret Jug. He dueled with Tiger Woods at a PGA Championship another time.
But he’s prone to morose statements, once famously hinting that he had to take on more than the field to win, that the golfing gods are conspiring against him.
Winning at the highest level in sports requires talent, dedication and a strong self-belief, which is why that harsh self-critique could turn out to be true. If he doesn’t think he can win a major, he probably never will.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2125 or dharris@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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