More likely to be considered was Steve Stricker, but he now is 50 and splitting time on the PGA Tour Champions.
All that changed in dramatic fashion on Sunday when he came out on top in a thrilling final-round duel with Justin Rose, a birdie on the first play-off hole making Garcia the third Spanish victor of the Masters - and on what would have been the 60th birthday of twice champion Seve Ballesteros for good measure.
"But you know, I was like, well, if that's what's supposed to happen, let it happen", he said.
Sergio Garcia can no longer be called one of the best golfers to not have won a major.
He joined "CBS This Morning" to talk about the putt that sent them into the playoff and what it felt like to win after so many years. I feel so nicely surrounded. "I think that everyone knows how much I love The Players Championship, how well I've done there".
"It's going to sting for sure", he said of the Masters defeat.
His par on the 13th hole was reminiscent of Garcia's hero Seve Ballestero, and his essence could be felt further by Garcia as he won the tournament on what would have been Ballestero's 60th birthday. "You can see the emotion on him, and I maybe created some of that emotion, so I'll take some credit for that". And it was Spain's true master of the clubs that brought him home.
This was shaping up as another, especially after Garcia watched a three-shot lead disappear as quickly as it took Rose to run off three straight birdies on the front nine. Then, the nightmare of 2007 at the Open was revisited on Sunday when he had a five-foot putt to win at Augusta following Justin Rose's missed birdie effort at the 18th.
Britain, Spain trade barbs on Gibraltar
Picardo said Spain was trying to bully Gibraltar and that the European Union was allowing the bullying to happen. Tuesday's was the seventh incursion by a Spanish navy ship this year, according to Gibraltar's government.
Rose birdied to match Garcia, then birdied the par-3 16th only to bogey and remain deadlocked to set up the closing drama.
Rose lovingly patted Garcia's cheek before they embraced.
The battle between Rose and Garcia on the final day made for a super exciting finish to the 81st Masters.
"A lot of things were going on through my mind", added the Ryder Cup stalwart. He won the Houston Open the week before just to get into the Masters and then played well throughout the week. "This is so great, I don't even care if I win".
"I have plenty more looks, and I feel good about it happening".
'In the five previous holes I had struck the ball very well.
"But lately I've been thinking a little bit different, a little bit more positive and kind of accepting, too, that if it for whatever reason didn't happen, my life is still going to go on".
"Could I have made the putt on 17? Yeah. Pretty much screaming if I remember correctly, I was screaming "yes" in Spanish, "Si" and "vamos" but it was just constant screaming", Garcia said of his winning moment.
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