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CARNOUSTIE - Sergio Garcia was again left empty-handed at a golf major after losing out to Ireland's Padraig Harrington in a four-hole British Open playoff on Monday (NZ time).
The 27-year-old Spaniard squandered a three-shot lead going into the final round, and an advantage of six strokes over Harrington.
Garcia said a lengthy wait to finish off the 72nd hole, bad luck on the greens and the hand of fate had all come into play. But bogeys at the fifth, seventh and eighth also cost him dear as he fell back into the pack.
"I was definitely a little bit nervous at the beginning and it's understandable," he told a news conference.
"If you're trying to win an Open championship and you're leading and you're not nervous, then you must be dead. I definitely struggled on the front nine."
After moving to the brink of triumph when Harrington twice found water at the 72nd, Garcia watched his putt for outright victory lip out at the last regulation hole and was critical of a long wait he had back on the tee.
"The first five or seven minutes you couldn't avoid because the guys in front (Paul McGinley and Chris DiMarco) were putting out," said Garcia.
"But then it seemed to take a long time to rake two bunkers, a very long time."
Garcia also bemoaned a stroke of misfortune at the short 16th, the second hole of the playoff, where his ball hit the flagstick.
Instead of coming to a halt, it bounded on 20 feet past the cup and he missed his birdie attempt.
"Some guys hit the pin and go to a foot. Mine hits the pin and goes 20 feet away," said Garcia.
"You know what the saddest thing is? It's not the first time."
Garcia has been tipped to break through in a major since finishing second to Tiger Woods at the 1999 US PGA Championship.
In last year's British Open at Hoylake he was one stroke behind Woods going into the final round before losing his way.
Now he has been right to the brink and again come up short.
"I just have to move on and hopefully do better next time," he said.
- REUTERS
