Sergio Garcia might be a major winner but when it comes to near misses, things could have been so much better for the Spaniard.
When all is said and done, Garcia will look back on his career with pride and with a green jacket from his Masters win in 2017 to show, he can eventually retire a happy man.
However, like all professional athletes, there’s also a case of what might have been when it comes to Garcia.
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Over the years, he’s had more than one opportunity to add to that major haul.
And when you look back at what happened at The Open in 2007, it’s impossible not to think that Garcia threw away one of his biggest opportunities yet as Padraig Harrington took home the Claret Jug.
How Sergio Garcia threw away The Open to Padraig Harrington
As mentioned above, someone like Sergio Garcia will probably feel he should have more than the single major to show.
Indeed, a quick glance at the man in question here at the 2007 Open, Padraig Harrington, shows what might have been for Garcia.
Harrington has three majors to his name but that could have been oh so different had the Spaniard held it together back in 2007.
Going into round four at Carnoustie, Garcia had put himself in the mother of all top positions as he held a three shot lead to second-placed Steve Stricker and a six-shot lead to the pack behind, which included Harrington.
The Spaniard was expected to cruise round and get the job done and anything around a par score would have seen him home comfortably.
However, Garcia went out and let the pressure tell, coming home in a round of 73 to allow the players behind to close the gap if they played well.
As Garcia slipped back to seven-under par, the field bunched as the likes of Ernie Els and Stewart Cink challenged. However, it was Irishman Harrington who rallied, producing a stunning final round of 67 to eat into Garcia’s lead and force a playoff.
In the tightest of four-hole playoff matches, one stroke separated the pair as Garcia’s opening hole bogey proved crucial. With both players parring the next two holes, Harrington could afford to lay up at the final hole and he tapped in for bogey to win out.
Garcia, meanwhile, saw a putt for birdie just miss the cup as he faced agony in a major for the second time after his near-miss at the 1999 PGA.
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Sergio Garcia should have won more majors
Winning a single major championship is a huge achievement and should not be overlooked.
But when you look at the career of Sergio Garcia and how talented he is, it’s hard not to feel he could and should have won more.
Two runner-up finishes at The Open, two at the PGA and a T3 at the US Open show that he has been in contention more than enough times.
Yes, he’s been unfortunate in some instances but this example with The Open here is one where he should have got the job done.
Ultimately, for all the success Garcia has had, it should have been more and while he’ll be delighted with his career, there’ll surely always be a nagging in his head about what might have been.
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