Open Championship: Is Sergio finally ready to shake his major monkey?

Sergio Garcia is still without a Major victory

Romilly Evans assesses the trials and tribulations of Sergio Garcia who may be about to conquer his Open demons...

"Adam Scott is a wise man," confided Justin Rose. Before elaborating that the recently-crowned Masters champion had sent him a text message after his Augusta victory saying that Rose's major breakthrough was coming soon.

It was a nice touch from the affable Aussie. But, aside from the solidarity of fellowship, it meant little. Certainly as a portent of Rose's ensuing win at the US Open. Sure, it may sound like Scott's prediction was reminiscent of Nostradamus at his best. Except what Rose didn't tell you was that Scott has been sending similar messages to Sergio Garcia for years for all the good they've done. 

Not that Scott is alone. As soon as most players break their major duck, they almost guiltily look around at those who were more deserving. No-one wants to catch Garcia's gaze. Better to avoid him altogether and simply send a text that "next time it'll be you, Serg."

Only trouble is that in golf, there are no certainties. Especially in its tent-pole events where 156 great players face off four wins each season. Put simply, there aren't enough titles to go around, even among the best players of any generation. Even those who have managed to pocket a few majors - Phil Mickelson, Davis Love III, Ernie Els, Greg Norman - typically carry the should've-won-more footnote on their storied CVs.

Garcia knows this to his cost. Especially since he's grown up in an era of increasing competition and one which was dominated during his formative years by that greedy guts Tiger Woods. However, while Woods can still point to his 14-major haul, Garcia has stalled on the grid at 0-for-56 in the sport's top-tier tournaments.

El Nino, the kid who was meant to chase Tiger to infinity and beyond, is still stuck at the other end of the possibility spectrum: ground zero. And every encouraging text he receives from a fellow pro, press packer or fan is just another unwelcome reminder of how far short of his destiny he has fallen.

The mounting series of crushing disappointments has led to Garcia considering early retirement. And then even after he got his game back and starting winning events, his irritation at failing on golf's grandest stage was always bubbling beneath the surface, ready to flair at a bad bounce, or a plugged lie. He even confessed to the Spanish media last year that he didn't "have the thing" he needs to win a major, and that the best he could hope for was "playing for second or third place."

Hardly fighting words. And though Garcia has finally retracted them this term, they define a tortured soul who carries within him the seeds of his own destruction.

Nevertheless, Garcia's tormentors are also to be found among his rivals. First, of course, came Tiger who took increasing pleasure in vanquishing his young foe ever since he emerged on the scene to follow home Woods at the 1999 USPGA. Garcia has never got any closer, particularly when playing alongside the world number one.

In their seven previous pairings together at the weekend, Garcia has recorded a higher score on each occasion. Most memorably, he was put to the sword in the 2006 Open, having made the fashion faux-pas of sporting an outrageous yellow outfit for the final round. Tiger saw it as a personal affront and gleefully texted friends afterwards that he has "just whopped Tweetiepie." No wonder Garcia has an aversion to texts.

Equally damaging was the emergence of Padraig Harrington as a major force.  The Irishman stole the Open from under Sergio's nose in 2007 and then did the same thing the following year at the PGA.

Garcia had long considered Harrington as a player neither worthy of his time nor respect (most Spanish golfers took against Pod after he infamously accused their standard-bearer, Jose Maria Olazabal, of cheating at the Seve Trophy), so these head-to-head defeats were all the more galling. How could Harrington suddenly have three majors, while he had none? 

While the Harrington threat may now have receded, Garcia's personal rivalry with Woods was rekindled to feud-like proportions earlier this summer after the Players Championship (where Garcia's blamed Tiger for disrupting his swing) and the BMW PGA (where he misjudged a fried-chicken joke at Tiger's expense). Both players say the matter is now closed. But it is definitely not forgotten. Repeated clucking from US galleries serve as a constant thorn in Garcia's side, while the Spaniard is left to lament how he ran the risk of racism against his fiercest opponent. 

Towering talent often has a tottering quality. And it is to Garcia's credit that he has not collapsed as a person or a player. So with The Open, his favourite event, now looming, perhaps he can fashion an overdue victory. The British galleries, who once fell far another unpredictable raven-haired Spaniard in Seve Ballesteros, have now taken Sergio under their wing, so he will enjoy home support and fewer hecklers.

In fact, in a career which has been mired by high expectations, there may some value in supporting Garcia when they are at the lower end of the scale. The 33-year-old has already amassed seven top-tens at the Open and also has a win at Muirfield (the 1998 British Amateur Championship) to his name.

Course form coupled to some promising current efforts and that 33.0n/a to back makes plenty of appeal. Especially if he can fly a little lower on the media radar.  

Eternally gifted he is. Eternally thwarted is his major quest he has been. But eternally punished? Surely that would be a bit harsh. And this could be one Sisyphus who manages to roll his boulder to the top of the mountain and make it stick.

Most people have a mid-life crisis where they wonder what it's all about. Garcia was forced to consider his future even earlier. Nevertheless, after 56 pointless outings at the majors (and three runner-up berths), he's still got plenty more opportunities ahead of him. He may even discover that life begins at 57.