Sergio Garcia
Spain

  • Full name Sergio Garcia
  • Birth date January 9, 1980
  • Birth place Borrio, Castellon
  • Current age 44 years 70 days
  • Height 5 ft 10 in
Sergio Garcia poses for his profile picture for the 2010 PGA Tour
Profile

One of the most gifted players on Tour, Sergio Garcia is in danger of being weighed down by the 'best player never to win a major' tag.

Colin Montgomerie failed to shake that monkey from his back and in his 30s, Garcia is in danger of following suit. The Spaniard is a dynamic, flamboyant and hugely entertaining player who is a huge favourite with crowds around the world. Garcia plays the game with a spring in his step and smile on his face, but he has a winning mentality - as a host of victories on both US and European Tours testify to.

Despite all the success and a career high ranking of number two in the world in 2008, he has yet to crack the Majors. He has gone agonisingly close, finishing second in two US PGAs (1999, 2008) and the Open (2007).

Near misses at the Masters and US Open demonstrate his versatility, but he suffered a dip in form in 2009 and will need to find form with his putter if he is to taste Major success.

After a torrid 2010, Garcia opted to take a break from the game at the end of the summer and took his mind off golf by making his debut for Spanish third division side Borriol.

That break cost Garcia any chance of playing the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and plummet down the rankings, and as a result 2011 was a year where he gradually rediscovered both his love for the game and his former standing within the rankings.

He was forced the qualify for the US Open at Congressional - a feat he achieved, before providing one of the main challenges to the runaway Rory McIlroy - and then finished second at the BMW International Open to book his place at The Open - another event where he also performed well.

With a series of consistent if unspectacular performances he returned to the world's top 50 - and then got his just rewards for a gritty season with an emphatic victory at his home Castello Masters. On home turf he won by 11 shots to claim his first title since 2008 - sparking hopes that the Spaniard could be returning to his best.

In August 2012, GarcĂ­a ended his four-year title wait for a PGA Tour title at the Wyndham Championship, a victory that secured his place on the victorious Ryder Cup team. The Spaniard ended the season in style, firing a final round 61 to win the Iskandar Johor Open on the Asian Tour.

Career high: The majors may have eluded Garcia so far, but the unofficial fifth major, the Players Championship, came his way in 2008 when he held his nerve to win at Sawgrass in a play-off.

Career low: Garcia suffered heartbreak at Carnoustie in the 2007 Open. He held the lead after each of the first three rounds and led by four shots during the final round. He needed a par on 18 to win the trophy, but a bogey sent him into a play-off with Padraig Harrington which the Irishman won.

Quote: On his split from his ex-girlfriend. "It hurt. It was probably the first time I have been really in love. It took me a while to get over it. would rather not talk to her, because when you are trying to get over a relationship it is difficult. But I don't have a feeling of hate against her."

Trivia: Garcia once dated Greg Norman's daughter (see above) and the pair have worked on course design projects since the split.

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Aug 17, 2013

Sergio Garcia pulls on his jacket

Aug 15, 2013

Sergio Garcia walks with a smile on his face

Jun 20, 2013

Sergio Garcia walks next to trees

Jun 15, 2013

Sergio Garcia hacks out of the rough

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