What if we change our minds? What if golf without Tiger Woods was even better? Sergio Garcia's victory at the Augusta Masters, 37 years old, Spanish, a lifetime in pursuit of a major, seems to offer us this opportunity. Garcia, 20 years ago, was called "el Niño", a child prodigy in the world golf circus, a small phenomenon destined to overwhelm everyone and win everything. So it was, but only in part, because his long list of successes has always lacked a grand slam tournament. He came close many times, even a whisker, but in the end something always went wrong. Sergio seemed destined to remain a successful underdog forever. What were his limitations? Perhaps he had never sent the somewhat neurotic boy who slept in him to the attic; perhaps he was too prone to blaming others for his mistakes. His controversies with Tiger remain memorable, only because, by pulling the wood out of the bag, he had distracted the public while Sergio was playing. In short, his problem was his whims, as an immature champion. However, five years ago this Spanish champion, when asked yet again about his chances of winning a major, had changed his tone and admitted: "I don't think I have the characteristics to ever succeed in this enterprise". A bath of humility, a definitive awareness. Thus golf, which is cruel, but also generous to those who know how to bow their heads and face adversity, has rewarded him, on his 74th attempt at a major.
On Sunday, Garcia won the most glamorous competition, the Masters, where he had grabbed the top ten only 3 times out of 18 editions played. He won it against his friend and great gentleman Justin Rose, gold medalist in Rio. "If I had to lose to someone – commented the Englishman – it had to be Sergio". Even the American public went into raptures for this epilogue. Magically this success also arrived on the day when the legend of Garcia, Severiano Ballesteros, would have turned 60 and a fairy circle has closed.
It's true then, golf is an orphan of Tiger, yet despite this serious shortcoming and the fact that even Dustin Johnson, world number one, got hurt a few hours before playing, this edition of the Masters will be remembered as one of the most beautiful of all time. An exceptional fact? No. The same happened last year with the Open Championship, thanks to the epic battle between Phil Mickelson and Henrik Stenson, which he then won. The same at the Olympics, in the confrontation between Stenson and Rose, who then won. In short, the fact that there is no longer a single star with so many satellites around has its advantages. The brightest star has gone out, but this provides an opportunity to see the others shining in the firmament. And if this is the golf of the post-Tiger era, you can really "satisfy".
