Sergio Garcia gives hope and painful moniker to these rivals

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As well as losing out to Woods in his prime at the USPGA in 1999, Garcia was runner-up at the 2007 and 2014 Open Championships and the 2008 PGA.

"The most positive thing is that I feel like I have so much room for improvement", he declared after marking what would have been Seve Ballesteros' 60th birthday by joining both him and another Spaniard, Jose Maria Olazabal, as winners of a coveted Green Jacket. He was just 19 years old when he made one of the most memorable shots of that year's Professional Golf Association (PGA) Championship tournament.

Sergio Garcia ended almost two decades of major heartbreak when he beat Justin Rose in a playoff to win the US Masters golf title on Sunday on what would have been the 60th birthday of his hero, the late Seve Ballesteros.

Garcia said he was even more delighted to have won on the day the legendary Ballesteros - the victor of five major titles - would have celebrated turning 60. After 73 majors, Garcia got the monkey off of his back to win.

After his win Sunday, his Green Jacket draped over his shoulders, Garcia had fun with that "best player never to win a major" label. I think this time he showed more maturity. "To be there as Masters champion, it's going to be extra special". His other childhood hero: two-time Augusta victor Jose Maria Olazabal, who buoyed Mr. Garcia's psyche with an inspirational text on Wednesday night.

"Obviously this is something I wanted to do for a long time, but it never felt like a horror movie", Garcia said.

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Garcia got rid of the demons and the doubts with two big moments on the par 5s - one a par, the other an eagle - in closing with a 3-under 69.

"I think that it is going to set up just a really, really happy and wonderful year for him". He's a great man.

The most disappointing part of Sunday's final round was the lack of a move by Rickie Fowler or Jordan Spieth during the day.

Two early birdies and a bogey from Rose briefly gave Garcia a three-shot lead in the final round, only for Rose to respond with a hat-trick of birdies from the sixth.

Garcia then birdied the 14th and eagled the 15th, where Rose responded with a birdie to head to the 16th tee tied for the lead. Fortunately for Garcia, he would win in sudden-death in a playoff over Justin Rose to get the victory.

Garcia had a five-foot putt to win his first Major after Rose missed his birdie chance, yet, like most of his career, it was his putting that let him down, and he missed. Garcia's drive on the dogleg hole went only slightly more left than his usual line, but his ball hit a tree and ended up in a bush, so he took a penalty stroke. "I've come to the conclusion I need to play for second or third place in any major". "So I'm very proud of that".

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