Garcia denies Carnoustie demons

Sergio Garcia says he has no lasting scars from his heart-breaking previous encounters at Carnoustie as he prepares to battle for a second major at the Scottish golf course in this week’s British Open tournament.

The most memorable images of Garcia at Carnoustie come from 1999, when the then 19-year-old wept after scoring a dismal 89 in the opening round, and 2007, when he lost the title after a failed putt in the fourth hole of the play-offs.

“There are no demons waiting for me there,” Garcia was quoted as saying by the Telegraph. “Honestly, it is one of my favourite Open courses — definitely in my top three, along with Muirfield and St Andrews. What happened the last time at Carnoustie wasn’t a terrible experience — I played great golf and I was just one putt away from winning the Open.”

Garcia dismissed the notion that winning one major makes it easier to win another, saying a second could be harder to achieve.

“That is my challenge at Carnoustie, because I really want to win there... It’s just always been my ambition.”