Garcia out of the rough and ready to join major league

SERGIO Garcia bristled here last night when it was put to him that he was now the best player in golf never to have won a major championship.

For all the merit of Europe’s superb victory in the Ryder Cup, the game here is deficient in that Scot Paul Lawrie remains the last European to capture a major championship, and that was back in 1999 at Carnoustie.

Garcia was quick to point out that he was “still only 24 and, touch wood, would have many, many chances to rectify the situation”.

“I’m not worried on that score at all,” insisted the brilliant Spaniard.

“What’s more, we have countless young players in Europe who will be winning major titles in the next few years, guys like Luke Donald, Paul Casey, Ian Poulter. Here in Spain there’s Pablo Martin, he’s only 18 and has already achieved great things. He only has to keep working hard and not get ahead of himself to be a great player. Europeans have done well in the majors but there are good players all over the place, not just in the States. Think of all the fine golfers in New Zealand, Australia, a Fijian and a South African lead the world rankings - golf is very much a global game.

“All I can say is that I will try to win as many as I can. People are onto me about surpassing Colin Montgomerie’s record of Ryder Cup wins but it’s the same thing, I don’t care very much about those kinds of records. Again, I will do all I can to help the team win the trophy and I look forward to seeing Europe’s name on that trophy for many years to come.

“I’m delighted to hear people like Pádraig Harrington intend to spend more time in the States next year. It will give them all the opportunity to show just how good they really are.

“And I’ll have somebody else to hang around with. We’ll have our own little group and it will be fun. I know Ernie Els has been contacted by the US Tour chief Tim Finchem about the number of tournaments he’s playing over there, but I’ve not had any contact and if and when it becomes a problem, then I will deal with it.”

Garcia has never made any secret of his deep respect and admiration for Seve Ballesteros and is as upset as anybody that his hero’s name should be dragged through the tabloids after a confrontation with European Tour referee Jose Maria Zamorra, a fellow Spaniard, a couple of weeks ago. That incident follows another during last year’s Italian Open, which involved John Paramor, the Tour’s chief referee.

“I only hope Seve can find something that will make him happy again and get him back to the Seve we all know,” said Garcia.

“It’s not easy, you go through tough times like he has and it can be frustrating, but hopefully he’ll get through them and be back soon.”

Although Garcia spends more time in the States than Europe, there is no more dedicated Ryder Cup competitor in his home continent’s cause. He was a true inspiration once again at Oakland Hills last month when he contributed 4½ points out of five to his team’s cause.

He had other big moments to savour during 2004, not least two victories on the US Tour and a recent win in the low-key Mallorca Classic, which he chose in preference to the HSBC World Championship, which offered the game’s first ever million-pound winners cheque. Furthermore, he led the way home in yesterday’s pro-am with a team including gentlemen who glory in the names of Marques de Canada Honda and Visconde de Pereira Machado.

The other member of the side is simply known as Ken Collins!

Set to take the golfing world by storm in 1999 when pipped by a shot by Tiger Woods for the US PGA Championship at the age of 19, Garcia slipped back in the next few years as he worked slavishly on improving his swing.

“The main part of that is all finished with now and I can only hope to keep on improving,” he said.

“The alterations centred around the set-up and getting the swing on a better line. I’m standing taller and there isn’t as much movement.”

That news will come as a relief to those who despaired as he took an age standing over the ball waggling the club before putting it into action!

“This is one of the biggest weeks of the year for me,” said Garcia.

“It’s one of those tournaments I really want to win. I love the course and practise here and have a close friendship with Mr Patino, the owner. Winning the Volvo Masters here would mean a great deal to me.

“The 17th hole? It’s a great par five and one that presents a lot of different options. If it’s downwind or there’s hardly any wind, you can reach the green in two. Against the wind, there is no chance so you lay up and you’re left with a difficult short iron and that’s just the way a par five should be.”