A life-threatening illness to a friend has put golf into perspective for
Sergio Garcia.
Still waiting for his first major title after finishing joint third in the US
Open - his ninth top 10 placing - Garcia spoke afterwards about his changed
attitude.
"I have a friend that is only 24 and he's got lung cancer," said the
25-year-old Spaniard. "To see those things really wakes you up.
"You don't want to make a bogey, but it makes you realise it's really not
that bad. You're still trying your hardest and that's what I did."
Garcia was told by caddie Glen Murray that mentally it was the best he had
seen him in a major in their time together.
"That's nice. I guess you learn. It's the way you handle things, the way you
focus, the way you approach the game.
"I'm happy with the way things have been going. You've got to take things the
right way. If you do you get rewards. If you don't get so uptight sometimes it's
better."
A third round 75 was Garcia's undoing, leaving him too much ground to make up
on a course yielding so few birdies.
His closing 70 was only one off the low score of the day, but two of the
players who shot 69 were winner Michael Campbell and second-placed Tiger Woods.
World number one Woods came close to keeping his Grand Slam dream alive, but
will now have to content himself with trying for a 10th major title again in the
Open at St Andrews in three weeks' time.
Having won there by eight in 2000 and having finished first and second in the
first two majors of this season he will be a hot favourite, of course.
"They were some of the most difficult pins I've ever seen, but I never felt
comfortable with my putter all week," he said.
"My quality of shots have gotten better since Augusta, though, and that's
exciting. I've taken some giant strides and for all the people that have slammed
me for making the changes now you understand why I did it."
But it still will be noted that at the Masters he bogeyed the last two holes
to fall into a play-off and at Pinehurst he bogeyed the 70th and 71st holes and
lost by two.
And that still compared favourably, of course, to world number five Retief
Goosen and Britain's top two hopes Lee Westwood and Luke Donald. They closed
with 81, 79 and 80 respectively.
Defending champion Goosen saw Ernie Els shoot 80 on the last day a year ago
and said: "It was my turn this year. I played rubbish, but this is nothing
serious - nobody has died.
"I was trying all the way, but from the second hole onward I got on the wrong
side of the course and got bitten. I threw this away, but I will be back."
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