Monday, May 14, 2007

Sour Grapes

Or 'Why Sergio Garcia won't win a Major'. I picked this up on cnnsi:

Sergio's drop questioned by playing partner

Sergio Garcia's 66 tied for the low round of the day, but it wasn't enough to catch Phil Mickelson. Garcia finished strong (he shot 67 Saturday) to finish second, one of his best finishes since last year's Ryder Cup and his win at the Booz Allen Classic in 2005.

"I felt comfortable all week with my swing," Garcia said. "I felt like I was in a good rhythm."

A bit of confusion arose when Garcia took relief from a drainage area on the 2nd hole. His playing partner, Cliff Kresge, and Kresge's caddie questioned the drop.

"I've never tried to do anything wrong on a golf course," Garcia said. "If I would have felt at any time that I wasn't taking full relief, I would have called for a ruling and do whatever was right. But I felt like I did and that's all there is to it."

Garcia said it affected his play on the 2nd and 3rd holes and may have even cost him a stroke.

"They were calling me a cheater on that. You never like that. I've never cheated in my whole life. I'd rather shoot 85 than shoot 65 cheating."

He said he finally relaxed toward the 4th or 5th hole. "It probably cost me at least one (stroke). It's fine, but you never know. Maybe I would have not finished the way I finished."


SG is apt to blame failure on anyone but himself, even after his (arguably) best finish since the 1999 PGA or 2000 Mercedes. He's too busy looking for excuses, rather than trying to win tournaments. He receives no sympathy from me. Also, his Maximus spectacle on 17th after making two was ridiculous.

1 comment:

Eric Z said...

I didn't see the Maximum display, so I can't comment on that.... but I think a lot of your comments are not limited to Sergio, but European athletes in general.

I'm too lazy to make a solid argument, but what is teh difference between Sergio and, say, Vlade Divac?

And people wonder why Euros can't win a major now. Um, because it requires intestinal fortitude? The one thing that most European athletes don't have?