The Pest

A Woods-Garcia feud has never made it into big headlines, though not for lack of journalistic effort. At one made-for-TV event, some reporters judged Garcia to have become overly effervescent in victory over a Tiger who'd been sickly and nauseous all day. Again, Garcia denied.

There's good reason Garcia's denials have never been accepted as cross-my-heart-hope-to-die deals. Presumably on his best behavior at the Ryder Cup, he yet has slipped the occasional stiletto between the ribs of an occasional American. In 1999, the rookie lost a singles match against Jim Furyk and said, "He played great. He made some putts. I hope that any of the players of the American team, I hope they won't say, 'We haven't holed putts,' because I'm tired of hearing that all week." (As some were made weary by Garcia's putting woes in the British last summer.)

In 2004, with his exasperation ratcheted up by success for which he believed due credit had not come, Garcia lectured the press: "Believe it or not, there's people that can play golf outside the States."

A dime-store psychologist might reckon that Garcia also is cursed by Americans because he is a mirror image of their Ryder Cup failings. The Americans have been exposed as mediocre team players while Garcia has shown he is the ultimate teammate.

"Maybe some guys are made for major championships, like Tiger," Garcia has said. "Maybe I'm made for the Ryder Cup."

Sergio Garcia celebrates another European victory in the Ryder Cup, in 2006 at the K Club in County Kildare, Ireland. Photo: Brian Snyder/Reuters

He went for triple bogey on the first hole he played as a professional in a major. Then it got worse. This was the 1999 British Open at beastly Carnoustie. He hacked through the hay to an 89. Garcia beat two players that day.

Maybe no one had told him the facts of life. It's hard, unfair and there'll be days you wish to be elsewhere with an ice cream. Anyway, he went from the scoring hut to his mother's arms. There he bawled. He didn't weep, whimper or wail. He bawled.

He has never been that bad again and has been extraordinary in many majors: second twice, eight times in the top five, 13 times in the top 10. Still, in 36 pro majors through the U.S. Open of this summer, he was 0-for-immortality.

Not that he much worries about the 0. It will change. And he long has insisted that the Ryder Cup stands with the majors in importance to him. At the last Ryder Cup, after again mortalizing the immortals and vincing the invincibles, he ended the session by saying, to laughter all around, "Nothing is sweeter than beating the Americans."

Ryder Cup Force

Sergio Garcia has a record of 14-4-2 in four Ryder Cups, never sitting out a match. He's 8-0-0 in foursomes (alternate shot), 5-1-2 in four-ball (better ball) and 1-3-0 in singles.

1999 / The Country Club(United States wins, 14½-13½)
Foursomes: Garcia and Jesper Parnevik beat Tom Lehman and Tiger Woods, 2 and 1
Four-ball: Garcia and Parnevik beat Jim Furyk and Phil Mickelson, 1 up
Foursomes: Garcia and Parnevik beat Justin Leonard and Payne Stewart, 3 and 2
Four-ball: Garcia and Parnevik halve with David Duval and Davis Love III
Singles: Garcia loses to Furyk, 4 and 3
Garcia for the week: 3-1-1

2002 / The Belfry (Europe wins, 15½-12½)
Four-ball: Garcia and Lee Westwood beat Duval and Love, 4 and 3
Foursomes: Garcia and Westwood beat Woods and Mark Calcavecchia, 2 and 1
Foursomes: Garcia and Westwood beat Furyk and Stewart Cink, 2 and 1
Four-ball: Garcia and Westwood lose to Woods and Love, 1 up
Singles: Garcia loses to David Toms, 1 up
Garcia for the week: 3-2-0

2004 / Oakland Hills (Europe wins, 18½-9½)
Four-ball: Garcia and Westwood beat Toms and Furyk, 4 and 3
Foursomes: Garcia and Luke Donald beat Cink and Kenny Perry, 3 and 1
Four-ball: Garcia and Westwood halve with Chris DiMarco and Jay Haas
Foursomes: Garcia and Donald beat Furyk and Fred Funk, 1 up
Singles: Garcia beats Mickelson, 3 and 2
Garcia for the week: 4-0-1

2006 / The K Club (Europe wins, 18½-9½)
Four-ball: Garcia and Jose Maria Olazabal beat Toms and Brett Wetterich, 3 and 2
Foursomes: Garcia and Donald beat Woods and Furyk, 2 up
Four-ball: Garcia and Olazabal beat Mickelson and DiMarco, 3 and 2
Foursomes: Garcia and Donald beat Mickelson and Toms, 2 and 1
Singles: Garcia loses to Cink, 4 and 3.
Garcia for the week: 4-1-0