[delrmx01]

lilgarcia, on Mar 28 2008, 02:22 PM, said:

yeah that was a decision made by the officials but it nearly always happens to woods but you know what they say you have to be lucky to win

No luck -- just lots of focus and clutch putting he he he

[kitsoasis]

mjtoal, on Mar 29 2008, 06:30 AM, said:

projamie, on Mar 28 2008, 07:24 PM, said:

waylman, on Mar 28 2008, 03:16 PM, said:

projamie, on Mar 28 2008, 11:43 AM, said:

And dresses well

you have to be kidding!

The guys got taste! I dress like Sergio 90% of the time... Hes got a modern and smart clean look about his fashion!

The monday after the Open last year, i played in a white addidas hat, same green shirt with the white under armour, white trousers and tour 360s, what an out fit!

Poulter dresses well but i dont see a thread about his bad form mixed with sarcastic fashion comments...

I agree that Sergio dresses well.

Better than Tiger who looks like a Wall St banker on a day off. Boring.

I am sure many GolfWRXers couldn't carry off the Sergio look - works better on thin guys!!

oh he definitely dresses well
he single handedly made baby blue Tour 360s cool

he just can't putt and likes to blame other people/things. boo hoo.

[The Ultimate Spin]

mjtoal, on Mar 28 2008, 05:32 PM, said:

The Ultimate Spin, on Mar 28 2008, 08:56 PM, said:

mjtoal, on Mar 28 2008, 03:45 PM, said:

The Ultimate Spin, on Mar 28 2008, 08:30 PM, said:

lilgarcia, on Mar 28 2008, 01:02 PM, said:

Sergio Garcia has had problems with his putting in the past but his hard work with Stan Utley will finally pay off att Augusta. His game was on top form at doral but he couldnt convert with his putter. If he finds a style that he likes and works well then all i can say is watch out Tiger because we may see a new Sergio.

I'm not a Sergio hater per se. It's just that he blames the course for his bad performance. Whined at some tourney that the later starters had better conditions than he did. The spitting in the hole incident. He blames his 'bad' luck if there is such a thing. It is very easy for people to 'hate' on him, he brings it upon himself.

Tiger isn't worried about Sergio. Nor are the other top 5 competitors....

You must have missed Tiger's interview after the WGC at Doral - he got some 'bad breaks'. Not bad driving and putting, but bad breaks. What a whiner.

when you are as good as tiger and you have 4 putts lip out I think you have earned the right to use the term 'bad breaks' because honestly, would you bet against Tiger on any given day that he would miss those putts? I wouldn't. Sergio? That's a different story. He hasn't proved himself. Did you hear Phil whining and acting like a self indulgent drama king before he won a major...or even after? No.

If it was just the whining it may be overlooked, but given the whole arrogant package he brings to the table makes it really hard to root for the guy.

Nonsense. When you are as good as Tiger you don't need excuses for missing putts.

Maybe Sergio sabotaged the lip of the hole? Yeah, that must be it. Tiger doesn't really miss any putts when he is contention.

of course not i was just saying that when tiger complaining of 'bad breaks' it carries more weight than sergio because he doesn’t cry wolf every time he loses. if i remember correctly, tiger admitted that he made mistakes but to only lose by 2 was a good sign...(mistakes...not just bad breaks--this is important if you ask me) it seems to me that someone is taking it personal. listen, just because people don't like segio's ego inflated antics doesn't mean that people don't like spain, k?

take the whining out of the equation, he is still not a very good example of course etiquette that the game of golf is suppose to be known for. tiger and phil come to the game with class, so far sergio has not. end of story, you can't really argue about that.

take a chill pill and relax, you'll feel better about yourself and you won't give yourself a brain hemorrhage

[loopshow]

we should all just forget about sergio and anybody else competing against tiger because he will not loose, he is too good mentally and he is the best putter in the world. the only person i can see competing this year is phil because hes done it before and vijay if he puts well because hes been playing well lately. there is no doubt that younger guys like adam scott have the talent but they can;t handle the pressure, and sergio can't either, anyways i'm cheering for mike weir...GO CANADA!!!

[deldch01]

Sergio has no chance.

[hmx3]

Garcia is no winner. Great golfers make putts under pesure and he has not this ability. But I think his putts are better as his
fashion. A little guy, who want´s to be stylish and looks only stupid funny.

[DemolitionMan]

Putting everything else aside, Sergio could win a Masters for simply the same reason Mike Weir has won one - TW was not on form, neither was a lot of other top players, and Weir had an unbelievable week with the wedge. So if Weir can do it, so can Sergio given the right conditions and a good week of putting. Besides Canadians, who in the world ever thought Weir would win at Augusta prior to 2003.

[BEND OF THE RIVER GC]

lilgarcia, on Mar 28 2008, 02:02 PM, said:

Sergio Garcia has had problems with his putting in the past but his hard work with Stan Utley will finally pay off att Augusta. His game was on top form at doral but he couldnt convert with his putter. If he finds a style that he likes and works well then all i can say is watch out Tiger because we may see a new Sergio.

He'll need more than just some good ball striking at Augusta National. Those greens will tear him up. He might even quite the game after he misses the cut on Friday.

[withdrew]

Using a different style putter every round can't possibly help

[gregcindyh]

lilgarcia, on Mar 28 2008, 11:02 AM, said:

Sergio Garcia has had problems with his putting in the past but his hard work with Stan Utley will finally pay off att Augusta. His game was on top form at doral but he couldnt convert with his putter. If he finds a style that he likes and works well then all i can say is watch out Tiger because we may see a new Sergio.

Please!!! A lot of guys can win the Masters. But there's only a handful that will be there in the last group on Sunday. The only paycheck Sergio will get during the Masters is from Taylor Made!

[Swingtheclub]

Its funny Tigers putting stats were worse than Sergios in 2007 and are less than a stroke better in 2008

Sergio does not putt it bad and he does not hit it bad right now 67 percent of the greens in regulation

The problem is that Tiger has won more majors than Sergio has won tournaments on both the US and European tour

The problem is that comparing Sergio to Tiger is a joke Sergio is so out of his league


But please quit blaming it on his putting thats a myth He is just a lot short on game and brains to play with the big boys.

I honestly think this kid is close to having seen his best golf already and that is sad.

Again most of this is my opinion and I am not a Sergio hater I could care less that he spit in a cup or that he whined like a school girl after last years Open

Simply put based on what I saw when he first came out at 19 Sergio is a big disappointment today and I do not see him making it back he let the demons in


Ken

[MatthewT]

DemolitionMan, on Mar 28 2008, 09:32 PM, said:

Putting everything else aside, Sergio could win a Masters for simply the same reason Mike Weir has won one - TW was not on form, neither was a lot of other top players, and Weir had an unbelievable week with the wedge. So if Weir can do it, so can Sergio given the right conditions and a good week of putting. Besides Canadians, who in the world ever thought Weir would win at Augusta prior to 2003.

Im Canadian, trust me nobody thought he could win the masters, hahahaha

[Honcho72]

Sergio is a great player, wonderful ball striker, and all around great golfer. However he's a horrible(by PGA standards) putter. Unless they bring the Rider Cup to the Masters, I wouldnt look for Sergio on Sunday. Wow that really hurt the back of my hand.

[dac]

i'm not really a fan of sergio, but i must say i think his iron game is pretty top notch. he's always in close proximity to the hole, but he just can't putt.

[muxi87]

I like Sergio...and I exclusively wear Adidas Climacool gear on the course (yep, including the PINK 360s and even carry the Adidas Ascend bag--in purple ), BUT, realistically, he's a HUGE longshot to win the Masters.

I like his long game, his ballstriking is nice, but as everyone knows, the Masters is won with putting, and Sergio's no Ben Crenshaw.

What I think is really sad is that Sergio was actually a VERY good putter in his early days on tour, but evidently something mental has happened that is causing him to put a tentative stroke on the ball. I don't believe his bad putting is a product of skill, cause he's displayed that he has the skills to putt well.

[20something]

After reading today's hit topics, maybe Bubba, Elk, Sergio and Woody or Rory or Tiger can play together at the Masters! They can have a throwdown on 18!

[creecool]

While I don't consider myself a huge sergio fan, he does have the ability to drive well and hit a buch of GIR. That said, if he can overcome the mental block that makes him putt like a hacker on sundays, he has an outside shot. The besy way to overcome those demons from the british on 18 is to get back up on that horse and contend in another major this year. God knows he made a good stroke at the british, just didn't drop.

[pickerjohn]

muxi87, on Mar 29 2008, 07:27 AM, said:

I like Sergio...and I exclusively wear Adidas Climacool gear on the course (yep, including the PINK 360s and even carry the Adidas Ascend bag--in purple ), BUT, realistically, he's a HUGE longshot to win the Masters.

I like his long game, his ballstriking is nice, but as everyone knows, the Masters is won with putting, and Sergio's no Ben Crenshaw.

What I think is really sad is that Sergio was actually a VERY good putter in his early days on tour, but evidently something mental has happened that is causing him to put a tentative stroke on the ball. I don't believe his bad putting is a product of skill, cause he's displayed that he has the skills to putt well.

I agree, it seems like anyone that can pitch and chip, and has the short game
could transend those skills into putting as well. Garcia is a very good short game
player (as well as long game) and at times from medium to long range shows great
putting skills. Maybe he truly believes that the forces are against him and the closer
to the hole he gets, the more evident it becomes. If Stan Utley can't help him then
I'd be worried for him.

[Swingtheclub]

In 2007 Sergio was 17th on tour in putts per round

and 15th in putts per green in regulation


How in the world is this putting bad?

[m_w]

HipCheck, on Mar 28 2008, 07:21 PM, said:

Hate to break this to you, but Duval may win on Tour again before Sergio putts well at Augusta.

I honestly fell off my chair laughing.

[wesmangolfer]

Sergio will never win at Augusta, his only chance is a british open as he gets older!

[sigmamason]

Looks like you got multiple viewpoints here...some people like Sergio, some don't and some are neutral/objective.

Sergio has been labeled with great potential and many people have given some of his past indiscretions the excuse that he is young even though he is 28.
The past issues, which have been talked about to death on here and several other golf sites, were a sign of both competitiveness and immaturity. Since it is still early in the golf season, the greater issue is will we see him do similar stuff...I hope not.
Not a Sergio fan per se...but I don't pull against him either...

Even if he puts his putting together, not necessarily sure that he can consistently challenge Tiger or the rest of the top 5. Remember literally every great player has an achilles heel...Tiger is not a great driver of the ball, Phil has issues with either driving or putting, Ernie issue is Tiger and the list could go on...going back in time, Jack said that his was his short game, Arnold said it was his putting, etc...
Sergio could finally figure out his putting stroke and it might be his wedge play that comes undone...

Nothing personal against the guy, but kind of interesting that Sergio, Phil, John Daly and Tiger are four of the most polarizing figures on golf sites...if you like (Insert any of the four here) to some, then you are an apologist or (insert any of the four here) "lover", same said for if you don't like (insert any of the four here), then you are a "hater"

[DrWheeler22]

lilgarcia, on Mar 28 2008, 02:02 PM, said:

Sergio Garcia has had problems with his putting in the past but his hard work with Stan Utley will finally pay off att Augusta. His game was on top form at doral but he couldnt convert with his putter. If he finds a style that he likes and works well then all i can say is watch out Tiger because we may see a new Sergio.

He's got no shot, he'll never have a big enough lead to hold on to it. When its time to win anything important, state side, you wont see him making anything outside of 10 feet, remember he is playing against more than just the feild.... No putting style or style period. He is hard to watch, maybe this year Adidas wont pick him as their what not to wear model.

[Harp]

I've read this post with interest and to answer the original question, Garcia can't prosper at Augusta simply because of his often discussed putting woes. I admire those who are willing him to succeed but Augusta places an absolute premium on putting and Garcia just hasn't got either the confidence or mechanics to make clutch putts on notoriously the most penal greens on tour. The Msters is less than two weeks away and only a few weeks previous Garcia was taking two putters to the course so bad was his putting!

His 2008 (to 03/29/08) putting stats are nowhere near where he needs to be to contend The Masters, not even his most ardent fan can argues with these stats...

Overall Putting Avg.-Inside 5' 96.31% 84th
Overall Putting Avg.- 5-10' 51.72% 147th
Putting from 10' - 15' 26.67% 128th
Putting from 15' - 20' 10.71% 168th
Putting from 20' - 25' 8.33% 124th
Putting from > 25' 1.39% 189th
Putting from 5-15' 40.59% 163rd
Putting from 15-25' 9.62% 178th

The other facets of his game are solid, but nothing can compensate for the above figures at Augusta of all places.

As for Garcia in general, I can see why people like him, he dresses 'differently' and has some fire in his belly, but to be honest, the guy lacks class and dignity and I empathise more with those erked by Garcia. The 'sipitting in the cup' issue was one of the most abhorent and inconsiderate acts I've witnessed compunded by Garcia's failure to grasp why it was an issue. There are other issues too, but on the whole I'm not a fan and would much sooner see Olazabal complete his hat-trick of green jackets.

[uncle rico]

The Ultimate Spin, on Mar 28 2008, 03:56 PM, said:

mjtoal, on Mar 28 2008, 03:45 PM, said:

The Ultimate Spin, on Mar 28 2008, 08:30 PM, said:

lilgarcia, on Mar 28 2008, 01:02 PM, said:

Sergio Garcia has had problems with his putting in the past but his hard work with Stan Utley will finally pay off att Augusta. His game was on top form at doral but he couldnt convert with his putter. If he finds a style that he likes and works well then all i can say is watch out Tiger because we may see a new Sergio.

I'm not a Sergio hater per se. It's just that he blames the course for his bad performance. Whined at some tourney that the later starters had better conditions than he did. The spitting in the hole incident. He blames his 'bad' luck if there is such a thing. It is very easy for people to 'hate' on him, he brings it upon himself.

Tiger isn't worried about Sergio. Nor are the other top 5 competitors....

You must have missed Tiger's interview after the WGC at Doral - he got some 'bad breaks'. Not bad driving and putting, but bad breaks. What a whiner.

when you are as good as tiger and you have 4 putts lip out I think you have earned the right to use the term 'bad breaks' because honestly, would you bet against Tiger on any given day that he would miss those putts? I wouldn't. Sergio? That's a different story. He hasn't proved himself. Did you hear Phil whining and acting like a self indulgent drama king before he won a major...or even after? No.

If it was just the whining it may be overlooked, but given the whole arrogant package he brings to the table makes it really hard to root for the guy.

Ok I can respect your point. But how can you compare him to Phil? I would rather watch paint dry than Phil play. I mean come on Segio makes it interesting. Phil is so boring. He wears the same black or grey pants, white or black shirt. He doesn't have an original thought that has not been run past some PR agent first before he speaks. At least you can respect Sergio because he speaks his mind. Who knows what Phil is thinking he is too worried about being politically correct and protecting his PR image, he has no personality. With all this said I will take a feisty, sometimes loud dressed, speaks what is on his mind Sergio than Phil any day.

[DemolitionMan]

uncle rico, on Mar 29 2008, 09:58 AM, said:

The Ultimate Spin, on Mar 28 2008, 03:56 PM, said:

mjtoal, on Mar 28 2008, 03:45 PM, said:

The Ultimate Spin, on Mar 28 2008, 08:30 PM, said:

lilgarcia, on Mar 28 2008, 01:02 PM, said:

Sergio Garcia has had problems with his putting in the past but his hard work with Stan Utley will finally pay off att Augusta. His game was on top form at doral but he couldnt convert with his putter. If he finds a style that he likes and works well then all i can say is watch out Tiger because we may see a new Sergio.

I'm not a Sergio hater per se. It's just that he blames the course for his bad performance. Whined at some tourney that the later starters had better conditions than he did. The spitting in the hole incident. He blames his 'bad' luck if there is such a thing. It is very easy for people to 'hate' on him, he brings it upon himself.

Tiger isn't worried about Sergio. Nor are the other top 5 competitors....

You must have missed Tiger's interview after the WGC at Doral - he got some 'bad breaks'. Not bad driving and putting, but bad breaks. What a whiner.

when you are as good as tiger and you have 4 putts lip out I think you have earned the right to use the term 'bad breaks' because honestly, would you bet against Tiger on any given day that he would miss those putts? I wouldn't. Sergio? That's a different story. He hasn't proved himself. Did you hear Phil whining and acting like a self indulgent drama king before he won a major...or even after? No.

If it was just the whining it may be overlooked, but given the whole arrogant package he brings to the table makes it really hard to root for the guy.

Ok I can respect your point. But how can you compare him to Phil? I would rather watch paint dry than Phil play. I mean come on Segio makes it interesting. Phil is so boring. He wears the same black or grey pants, white or black shirt. He doesn't have an original thought that has not been run past some PR agent first before he speaks. At least you can respect Sergio because he speaks his mind. Who knows what Phil is thinking he is too worried about being politically correct and protecting his PR image, he has no personality. With all this said I will take a feisty, sometimes loud dressed, speaks what is on his mind Sergio than Phil any day.

Are you watching golf or Oprah?

Phil is much better now at being stable and boring, but still, hardly any golfer is more entertaining to watch on the course no matter if you like highlights or lowlights. The guy can 5 putt at any time, meltdown and throw away a tournament, or he can make a clutch up and down to win a tournament. There is no better player at the flopshot which while in itself may not be a talent you need, but in terms of entertainment and the larger margin of error, who better to watch to try to pull those shots off? Tiger? Who else can have a score card like PM does sometimes? Front 9 scores of 5-3-7-2-6-3-3-5-2 for a 36 is quite entertaining. Who cares what he is wearing or what he has to say in the microphone?

Of all my great memories of watching golf, I can't think of any that start with...Player X was wearing...or Player Y said.....

[sync71]

soberguy16, on Mar 28 2008, 02:35 PM, said:

Why Sergio Garcia Can't Win the Masters: his putting, his mind, Tiger

Yeah, I'd say that pretty much sums it up. I highly doubt Sergio will win the masters, you can't go into the masters still looking for a putting style and win.

[hartman33]

If Sergio could putt he'd be dangerous. I won't say he cant win the Masters (anybody can get hot for a couple days) but the odds are highly against it

[dbornack]

I personally happen to know that he sends his manager after hot pieces of a** in the gallery, IN A LARGE-SCALE TOURNAMENT.

If he gets his head out of his a** in that aspect and focuses, perhaps he will be a top 5 world player that might consistently challenge Tiger. The talent is there, but the drive, and his head, are not.

[birdiemachine11]

Wow, how is Sergio and "look out Tiger" even in the same sentence?

[hartman33]

I could hit my approach shot and miss the green on every hole, chip it to 3 feet and make the putt. The statistics show I had 18 putts in the round. Am I a great putter? Statistics can be very deceiving.

[pickerjohn]

hartman33, on Mar 30 2008, 08:52 AM, said:

I could hit my approach shot and miss the green on every hole, chip it to 3 feet and make the putt. The statistics show I had 18 putts in the round. Am I a great putter? Statistics can be very deceiving.

If I made 18 straight 3 footers, I'd be happy and consider myself a good putter.
Not like TW, who makes them for years at a time.

[Swingtheclub]

I for one have hard time dismissing stats

17th in putts per round and 15th in putts per green in regulation

seems so much better than 105th in Greens hit in regulation 164th in total driving

or 142nd in Ball striking yep guys I must be wrong its definatly his putting holding him back these are all facts from the 2007 season.

[mat562]

I'm surprised at those stats.

If I were asked to describe Garcia in 20 words, it would be:

'Spanish golfer. Appalling fashion sense. Poor attitude. Abundant natural talent. Underachiever. Tremendous driver and iron player. Putts worse than me.'

[hartman33]

I will say in Sergios defense, the competition is very very stiff. He should be holding The Open Jug, how Padraig walked away with the title still makes me scratch my head. The greatest teachings in life come from failure not victory, if he learns from it, applies what he has learned, he will win a major. If he blames the ghosts hes playing against, no major will fall his way.

[jcrew]

i totally skipped the 2nd page but in terms of his fashion, I agree with whoever said it was a hit or a miss. In general I think he's better off than the vast majority of the guys on tour. However, his color choice sometimes kills him. The fit of his clothes is good, which I think is more important than color. Slim + wacky color combinations > good looking color combinations + baggy as hell. No matter what color, polos with sleeves that go down past your elbow will NEVER look good.

[beachgrovejunior]

mat562, on Mar 30 2008, 11:19 AM, said:

'Spanish golfer. Appalling fashion sense. Poor attitude. Abundant natural talent. Underachiever. Tremendous driver and iron player. Putts worse than me.'

This is Exactly what Garcia is, damn can he strike a golf ball, but no chance at the masters.

Got to wonder what some of you golfwrxers are on when i read that he will win the masters AND he dresses well, refer back to the Dancing Banana

[Ribbie]

That's funny.... I think the only reason Sergio will never win at Augusta is because of his putting.