Let me set the scene… I went over to my parents house to watch the final round of The Masters. While I got settled in, Sergio Garcia led the tournament with Justin Rose a few strokes behind with Rickie Fowler, Thomas Pieters and others in the hunt. I’m not a Sergio fan at all. It’s a long story that doesn’t need to be talked about here. Therefore, I waited for the collapse to happen, and it did for a moment from 10th hole until the 12th. Then things completely changed for the final holes, and the playoff leading to Garcia’s first major victory. How did a hater like me at least find some enjoyment in Garcia’s victory? It’s unexpected, and it could be I’m just getting soft.

Garcia was dead in the water on 13. He found himself in the pinestraw, and everyone thought this is when we would see Rose run away with his first Masters title. Sergio drilled a couple great shots to get a par on the hole. That’s when everything changed in the tournament. Rose still found a way to hang with Garcia because he’s the type of golfer that doesn’t get too high or too low. While Sergio rode the emotion of the Augusta crowd to hit big shot after big shot including an eagle on 15th that was the official moment where everything changed. Best part might have been Garcia nailing the birdie on the first playoff hole to win it going away for his first major.

So where does this put a hater like me? Well for one thing, I’m not a huge Rose guy, therefore, it made things easier to enjoy the sports moment with Garcia on the playoff hole. The other thing is Sergio fucking battled back to win this tournament. He didn’t back his way into his first major. He came back from the dead to be right there at the very end. All of the sudden, the narrative about Sergio being a choke didn’t exist as he responded right away from missing his putt on 18 with a beautiful drive that set him up for his major-winning putt. It’s really hard not to appreciate what Garcia did on the course today.

Sergio, I hated you a little less as you put on the green jacket.

Charlie.