Garcia ready to take a giant step

SLOW but gradual improvement has been Sergio Garcia’s way since he first contested the British Open Championship as an amateur at Royal Lytham St Annes in 1996.

Few need reminding of how an opening 89 left him at the very end of the field after the first round at Carnoustie in 1999 when he missed the cut by miles. Since then, though, he has gone 36th, ninth and eighth, a progression that entitles him to a legitimate degree of confidence going into this week.

Carnoustie could have left an indelible scar on the vastly talented 23-year-old Spaniard but to his credit he has more or less erased it from his mind. Indeed, he insisted: “I’ve improved a lot as a player but not just that. I’ve matured. I’ve gotten bigger. I know how to handle myself better. I’m more patient. Those are things that really help when you are out on the golf course.”