Opinion | How the Masters and Sergio Garcia combined to paint an unlikely masterpiece
Despite the annoying mantra of exclusivity, and despite his petulant past, Augusta National and the veteran Spaniard saved their best for last
Justin Rose is an unfailingly decent man by any standard. The fact that he remains so accessible and accommodating despite being a fabulously talented and wealthy sportsman is even more remarkable. Sergio Garcia is a fabulously talented and wealthy sportsman as well. However, in terms of being accessible and accommodating, Garcia has traditionally been the polar opposite of Rose.
That’s not a knock, it’s just a simple truth that became even more apparent as the Englishman Rose and the Spaniard Garcia began the back nine at Augusta National during the final round of the Masters.
The two were tied at eight-under-par and, for all intents and purposes, were the only golfers with a chance to win.
Rose had broken through the major championship barrier three years earlier with a victory at the US Open, while Sergio owned the biggest doughnut in all of golf. The Masters was his 74th start in a major with zero wins. Based on personality and affability alone, Rose would seem the clear choice. Regardless of the situation, he plays the game with a smile on his face and a bounce in his step that clearly says he knows how charmed his life is. Garcia has inherited the mantle of the most heckled European in the US since the retirement of Colin Montgomerie.
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Much of it has been of his own doing, but not all. Garcia has been openly whiny and tortured with occasional impetuous outbursts both on and off the course. However, despite Garcia’s shortcomings in majors, he has nonetheless been a stalwart in Ryder Cup competitions during an era of European dominance.