SUPER SERGIO MOVES OUT OF SEVE’S SHADOW

FOR people of a certain age, it is impossible to consider there has ever been a more influential player at the Ryder Cup than Seve Ballesteros. But it’s time to recognise that a fellow Spaniard has now eclipsed even the great man. It was pure poetry going into Paris last week that Sergio Garcia was matching Seve stride for stride. Eight Ryder Cups and 37 matches apiece. An identical return of 22½ points. In the team room, it was the same. They were the heartbeat, with a ready word or a cajoling presence if called upon. Garcia bounced on to the scene in 1999 aged 19 and quickly got on American nerves. Alongside Jesper Parnevik, he delivered 3½ points out of five matches. You could see straight away he had Seve’s passion, Seve’s ability to get under the skin of his opponents, Seve’s killer touch. Like many, I feared for Garcia this time after he missed the halfway cut at all four majors and barely had a decent result anywhere else. Wisely, captain Thomas Bjorn left him out on Friday morning. Why pile the pressure on in the first series? When Garcia got to the first tee that afternoon, however, Europe were 3-1 down. By his side was Alex Noren, an untried rookie. There was nowhere to hide. When it was Garcia’s turn, it became hard to watch. Convulsed by first-tee nerves, he was gripping and regripping the club constantly. But you could see the belief return with almost every passing blow. With the point claimed against the hapless Phil Mickelson, confidence was restored. Alongside Rory McIlroy on Saturday morning, it was like watching Seve reincarnated. Rory put two balls in the water and another out of bounds. The frustration was killing him. But Garcia was there for him, massaging his tense shoulders, praising him for the birdies rather than dwelling on the stray blows. On Saturday evening, Garcia sought out his despondent compatriot Jon Rahm, who had lost both his matches, and told him he must control his emotions. The fiery Rahm was notably more subdued in his singles match against Tiger Woods. Only at the end, when he had delivered a vital point, did he let it all out. Later, Rahm paid Garcia an emotional tribute. It was like listening to Jose Maria Olazabal talking about Seve. Or Garcia, talking about Seve or Ollie. So it continues, the rich Spanish presence that lies at the heart of Europe’s Ryder Cup teams. When he had claimed the point — one of three in Paris — that took him beyond Sir Nick Faldo’s total of 25, Garcia looked to the sky. There was no need to ask whom he was thinking about. With this, perhaps the greatest of his nine Ryder Cups, he is no longer marching in stride. He has moved out of Seve’s shadow. Hopefully, there are still more chapters to be written but his legacy is secure. When it comes to the Ryder Cup, it’s time to afford Garcia the ultimate title: the greatest European.