Sergio Garcia :: Final round woes

After chipping in at the 12th hole last night, Sergio Garcia was the sole leader of the Northern Trust Open on eight-under par at a rainy Riviera CC.

For a time, it looked as though the 35-year-old would at least make the play-off, and when Dustin Johnson in the group ahead bogeyed the 17th, it seemed to be the Spaniard’s to lose.

But two poor drives on the final two holes resulted in Sergio Garcia finishing bogey-bogey, missing out on the play-off – which was won by James Hahn – by one shot.

Unfortunately, occurrences like last night have been all too regular in Garcia’s 16-year professional career and, as a maiden major win continues to prove elusive, we’ve pulled together five other occasions where Garcia has been unable to make an advantage count.

2007 – The Open Championship

Sergio Garcia led after each of the first three rounds and took a three-shot lead over Steve Stricker into the final round and six ahead of the rest of the field.

Early in the final round, he extended his advantage to four shots, but bogeys at five, seven and eight brought him back within reach.

Still, the Spaniard needed a par to win on the 18th but couldn’t get up and down from a greenside bunker. He subsequently lost a four-hole play-off against Padraig Harrington.

2008 – US PGA Championship

Sergio Garcia started the day three shots behind leader Ben Curtis but after a birdie and an eagle in his opening two holes, he clawed back the deficit and played with the lead for most of the day after staying bogey-free through 15.

However, he found the water on the 16th and missed crucial putts for the remainder of the round, tasting defeat to Harrington again, finishing two shots behind the Irishman.

2011 – BMW International Open

Two shots behind overnight leader Mark Foster, Sergio Garcia recorded three consecutive birdies at six, seven and eight, as well as eagles on nine and 11 to move into the lead.

He followed that up with four bogeys in his next five holes though, and while he birdied the 18th to force a play-off with fellow countryman Pablo Larrazabal, he was beaten on the fifth hole.

2012 – The Barclays

Leading by two shots after the sixth hole on the final day, Nick Watney responded with three birdies in four holes to which Sergio Garcia had no answer for.

In fact, the Spaniard did the total opposite, making three bogeys in four holes on eight, ten and 11 as Watney pulled away to win by three shots from Brandt Snedeker, with Garcia a further shot behind.

2013 – The Players Championship

After Tiger Woods squandered a comfortable lead with a double bogey on the 14th, Garcia birdied 16 to take the pair level going into the infamous 17th at TPC Sawgrass.

Woods, who was in the group ahead of Sergio Garcia, two-putted for a par, but Garcia found the water on two occasions, registering a quadruple bogey, taking him totally out of contention.

To add insult to injury, the Spaniard made a double bogey on the 18th, eventually finishing six shots behind eventual winner Woods.

Sergio Garcia :: Your thoughts

Sergio Garcia has finished runner-up at major championships on four different occasions, but will he ever win one? Leave your thoughts in the ‘Comments’ section below.