It was a case of 74th time lucky for Sergio Garcia when he finally ended his Major drought by winning the 2017 Masters.
The nearly man was no more. Seventy-three appearances on golf’s biggest stages, four times a runner-up, twelve top fives, 22 top tens … the wait was over.
In 2012, at the same Augusta National course, the despairing Spaniard had seemed resigned to his fate. "I'm not good enough,” he said after seeing his victory hopes ended after a third-round 75.
“I don't have the thing I need to have. I've come to the conclusion that I need to play for second or third place … I have my chances and my opportunities and I waste them."
Fast forward five years, and Garcia found that “thing” as the 37-year-old overcame a two-shot deficit with six holes to play to beat Justin Rose in a sudden-death play-off.
"If there's anyone to lose to, it's Sergio. He deserves it," Englishman Rose said afterwards. "He's had his fair share of heartbreak.”
Garcia had been one of the finest players of his generation, a Ryder Cup great who seemed destined never to win a Major crown.
He had come agonisingly close at the 2007 British Open at Carnoustie in Scotland, leading after each of the first three rounds before shooting a 73 to throw away a three-shot lead, then losing a play-off to Padraig Harrington.
A three shot lead would also disappear in the final round at Augusta a decade later, as Rose overtook the stumbling Spaniard and took a two-shot lead of his own.
Garcia, though, showed his new-found Major mettle after fighting back to tie with Rose and then missing a five-foot putt on the last which would have won him the championship.
There would be no play-off heartache this time round. On the par four 18th as Rose drove into the trees from the tee and Garcia found the fairway.
With two putts to win the title, Garcia, who carded 71-69-70-69 during the tournament, nailed the first. In his 19th Masters appearance and 74th Major, the most by any player before their first title, the wait was over.
He became the third Spanish player to win the Masters, after Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal. Nearly six years after Ballesteros died of brain cancer, on what would have been his 60th birthday, Garcia had reached his Holy Grail.
“It definitely popped in my mind a few times,” said García of the Ballesteros anniversary. “There’s no doubt about it. Obviously today a couple of times here and there. And I’m sure he helped a little bit with some of those shots or some of those putts.
"It has been such a long time coming. I knew I was playing well. I felt the calmest I ever felt in a Major. Even after a couple of bogeys I was still positive that there were a lot of holes I could get to. I am so happy.
"It is amazing. To do it on his [Seve's] 60th birthday and to join him and Jose Maria Olazabal, my two idols in golf, it is something amazing. Jose Maria texted on Thursday saying how much he believed in me and to believe in myself.
“This is something I wanted to do for a long time. But, you know, it never felt like a horror movie. It felt like a little bit of a drama, but obviously with a happy ending.”
