Sergio Garcia

[Region3]

One for all the amateur psychologists.

Did anyone think it was odd that he was laughing and smiling after throwing his chances away on the 17th yesterday?

I know nothing about psychology, but the impression I got watching him after he dumped 2 balls in the water was that he was actually relieved to have all the pressure lifted from him, as if he's used to nearly winning so subconsciously self-sabotaged to get back to his comfort zone.

I didn't understand the decision to go flag hunting with the first ball when he's tied for the lead, but if he'd have pulled it off I'd have been saying great shot.
When he was playing 3 off the tee, why do the same thing again? I'd want to make 3 with the second ball so a birdie down 18 ties if Tiger slips up.


On the opposite side of the spectrum, Tiger who has been rightly criticised for cursing and slamming clubs into the ground after bad shots, dumps his tee shot (on 14?) short and wet but doesn't react badly. He looked so calm and focussed after that and nailed a fairway wood from a horrid stance to give himself a chance at making bogey.
The fact that he still made double but stayed calm and focussed enough to make the very difficult up and down on 15 was impressive imo.


I think the differences highlighted in the mental games of the 2 players said far more than the quality of their shots, and based on this weekend and the Masters, I can't see Sergio winning a major - unless he shoots stupid low on the last day to steal one. I hope I'm wrong though.

 

[thecraw]

What else can he do?

The second ball was very unlucky to end up in the drink. These things happen so I guess its all about acceptance. He knew after the first one he'd lost the tournament so I guess when the second ball also went in it was a "sod it" moment.

 

[MessyPenguin]

The way i saw it was that it was almost a match-play situation between him and Tiger.
I guess Sergio went for the flag knowing that he could win the players there, didn't he do it before there in a playoff?
The top players on the tour are so close together in ability that if he makes the shot he wins if he doesn't he loses.
When it went in the water it looks like he said "Oh well" to his caddy. He was never playing for second for a big pay cheque.
I just don't see it as a 'Meltdown'. It was a shot that was attempting to win the players.

 

[Birchy]

Sergio did right to go for it imo, it wasnt that hard of a shot but he just made a mess of it. At some point either on 18 or in the playoff he would of had to go after a flag to win and i doubt he would of had an easier shot/chance than the tee shot on 17.

 

[Fader]

I actually thought laughing it off was the best way to deal with it. Yes its a lot of money on the line but he has plenty of that, he had 2 options play wide for par and hope to make it count on 18th, or go flag hunting with a shorter club in his has and rather than hoping to win in a play off to try and grab the bull by the horns and go for it.

He went for it and it didn't work he shrugged it off and though if he could pull it off the 2nd time he has a good chance at a 4 to give himself the opportunity to try andd birdie the last anyway. Think he did the right thing and laughing it off is much better than throwing a paddy about it.

 

[Alex1975]

I saw Sergio smiling and though it was him telling himself, "yep, you knew you could not do it, you knew you could not hold it together" so acknowledging the golfing gods for letting him get close and showing him it was just close enough. Like maybe not sadness but more justification of his own beliefs. I think he thinks he is good but not good enough so that is what he is.

If you think you are worth £30k a year that is pretty much what you will earn.

I think on some level it will have amused him at that moment. I cant really explain what I mean I don't think. Happy to be the shmuck at the moment, getting the result he deserved for letting himself down with that error.

 

[G1BB0]

fortune favours the brave and no one remembers 2nd place!

good on him and at least he didnt [video=youtube;RfSPMQcqpIQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfSPMQcqpIQ&feature=player_detailpage[/video]

 

[drawboy]

Good on him, he has been in the doldrums for the last few years with a face like a bulldog licking wee off a nettle. Nice to see him take it on the chin and laugh it off, He made a few quid for doing nowt and will do the same next week all while having everyone fawn over him wherever he goes. When you have a life as good as that the least you can do is smile when it goes a bit wrong. Well done Sergio, nice to see the teeth out.

 

[Slicer30]

I watched a re-run today, thought he handled it well to be honest.

To quote Mr Rotella in his "the 15th club" book - Attaching emotion to the results of a shot will increase the chances of that shot being stored in your memory.

He encourages the golfer to attach emotion to the good shots and pretend like it doesnt matter when you hit a real bad one. This way the memory of the good shot should preserve and the bad one should not.

In this example he talks specifically about golfers who hit a sunday best shot, then walk after it like they do it all the time when really they should be showing they enjoyed it as it will help their confidence

 

[JustOne]

I agree with some of the comments, he could have won it right there and then with a birdie on 17 so it was worth going for.... forcing Tiger to birdie the last. As Craw said, his 2nd ball was very unlucky to go in the water as it took a wicked backwards bounce off the bunker, could easily have hopped forwards.... the 2nd one was game over.

Kudos to him for taking it on. 135yd birdie is easier than trying to birdie the 18th where the pin was also well tucked.

I also think there was a break down in communication between him and Tiger... then twisted by the media. Tigers words were taken out of context making Sergio say something he shouldn't have. Very naughty media people!!!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

See its Sergio bashing this week. Makes a change from having a pop at Donald, Poulter, Westwood or whoever the naesayers decide aren't fit to be on tour. He hit a bad shot. Simple. Poor execution or poor course management chasing the flag it doesn't matter. Can't believe people are saying he choked because he knew he wouldn't win a play-off. We've seen big names make a hash of it when in prime position (Scott last year only needed one par on the last few holes) so who's to say Woods wouldn't have carved one.

Sergio lost a tournament but it isn't going to destroy his so called fragile confidence. He seems to be far more consistent over the last few months and I bet he relished running it so close. Let keep some perspective

 

[Dodger]

I thought as he stepped on the tee that he may remember that great shot he hit at 17 when he won and go for it again.

Unfortunatley he did but the result was not the same.

Tiger strode around like he knew he was back to the top and he was comfortable with the pressure that goes with it again and I actually did not think Garcia played all that great over the final 36 holes so did well to be in with a chance with 2 to go.

Great viewing.

 

[garyinderry]

Sergio is on a par with tiger for tantrums and club throwing. two golfers I enjoy watching. they remind me of my nephew when they toys go flying out of the pram.

 

[lobthewedge]

I am a huge Sergio fan and thought he was brilliant all week on and off the course. How refreshing was it to see someone actually speak their mind and tell it like they saw it, perfectly natural for two people not to get on, so why paper over the cracks? Although I agree with an earlier post, much was lost in translation and the media definitely didnt help the situation.

I think he was right to have a pop at the 17th, he had the momentum, was fired up and probably felt he had better chance at birdie there than down the last, a hole that doesnt exactly favour a natural fader of the ball. I was genuinely gutted for him, I thought it would have been great for someone to reign in the Tiger juggernaut, and who better than Sergio after what had transpired between them on the Saturday.

As for his reaction at the 17th, I would much rather see him grin, shrug and get on with it than smashing hell out of a microphone and storming off without doing interviews etc. I thought he handled himself well. Although if it later transpires that he trashed his hotel room in a drunken rampage , thats fine by me too, perfectly healthy to have a wee blow out!

Good luck to you Serg, chin up, keep plugging away and lets hope the golfing gods smile on you at Muirfield.

 

[Val]

I am a huge Sergio fan and thought he was brilliant all week on and off the course. How refreshing was it to see someone actually speak their mind and tell it like they saw it, perfectly natural for two people not to get on, so why paper over the cracks? Although I agree with an earlier post, much was lost in translation and the media definitely didnt help the situation.

I think he was right to have a pop at the 17th, he had the momentum, was fired up and probably felt he had better chance at birdie there than down the last, a hole that doesnt exactly favour a natural fader of the ball. I was genuinely gutted for him, I thought it would have been great for someone to reign in the Tiger juggernaut, and who better than Sergio after what had transpired between them on the Saturday.

As for his reaction at the 17th, I would much rather see him grin, shrug and get on with it than smashing hell out of a microphone and storming off without doing interviews etc. I thought he handled himself well. Although if it later transpires that he trashed his hotel room in a drunken rampage , thats fine by me too, perfectly healthy to have a wee blow out!

Good luck to you Serg, chin up, keep plugging away and lets hope the golfing gods smile on you at Muirfield.

Well said