In 2009 Sergio Garcia Goes From El Niño To El Matador!

I thought it was time to write an article in defense of Sergio Garcia, as opposed to the old and tired "Best player never to win a major article."

Let's get this out of the way, Sergio has blamed anything and everything in the past for his outcomes in past majors. Everyone by now knows his putting and mental game—or lack thereof, has cost him a number of times.

Cross hand, belly, claw, Taylor Made Spider, 2-putters, you name it, he has tried it. Early last year he followed his caddie's advice and sought out Stan Utley for help with his putting. He bought into Stan's method, which actually is how he used to putt as an amateur and in his early years as a pro. In the past his game was so good that he averaged in the top five in low scoring average, in spite of his terrible putting.

Now his putting, at worst will allow him to contend or win in some tournaments. At best, his putting may even be a strength when his game is off, as it was in some events towards the end of the year.

As for the mental aspect of his game, and this has more to do with maturity, it has also improved tremendously. Now when he comes up short in a major or big event, he is more gracious and accepting.

Let's not kid ourselves here, no one likes to lose, especially professionals at the top pf their respective sports. I personally like a bit of fire in athletes, I hate to see guys come up and say the same thing the next guy says just to give reporters their ammo for their columns.

Golf needs characters like Sergio, Weekley, Woody Austin, and Sabatinni. With Sergio there is this love-hate relationship I think stems from something which never materialized. The media has been longing for someone to stand up and rival Tiger, whether it's Phil, Vijay, Ernie, or whomever is the flavor of the month.

None however, have the overall package Sergio brings to the table: youth, charisma, flair, game, quotes, looks, and except on certain occasions, charm. Let's not confuse the facts, in a time where athletes are known more for their troubles and lack of affection towards those who pay their bills, Sergio is great with fans. Whether it's with kids looking for autographs, CEO's in pro-ams, writers looking for a story, or a guy looking for a high-five during a round, he is always willing and able and most of all genuine.

Has he made mistakes? Sure he has! The spitting in the cup at Doral, his meltdowns following majors, all of those negative quotes about the golf gods, etc. Make you scratch your head? Absolutely.

Is he a bad guy though, I would say not. As Johnny says, he is "better than most," not only on but off the course as well.

Following his 1999 PGA splash into the PGA, he played Tiger heads up in the Monday night event which didn't last long on ABC, and he beat him. Back then people thought this was going to be a rival for a long time coming, well it's been a long time but I think that rivalry just may begin provided two things happen: Tiger comes back from injury and Sergio picks up where he left off in December.

I say both will happen and golf fans are going to be in for a treat, throw Anthony Kim into the mix and you have a nice trio. The PGA needs more players to be legitimate rivals to Tiger, especially with the financial crisis this and all other sports face moving forward.

I am inclined to put something down to back up my words here regarding 2009 and Sergio's future. I say he repeats at the Players, wins at Augusta, wins the Open, and wins at least three other events and is a factor in both the FedEx and the Race for Dubai.

Historically he is a slow starter, I say he even wins in Dubai later this month. So to recap this time next year he has two Majors, three or more wins, and possibly leads both tours on the money list. Memo to Adam Scott, Anthony Kim, Justin Rose, Luke Donald, Steve Stricker, Stewart Cink, and on and on, beware of the "best player never to win a major," writers.