WAIT SHIFTED

Garcia hands hope, spotlight to stars without majors

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Sergio Garcia did a lot of things when he sank that 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th green to win the Masters on the first hole of sudden-death playoff Sunday at Augusta National.

Most of what Garcia did was for himself: Finally capturing his first major championship and validating a decorated career that unfortunately had been defined by the fact he had been unable to win a major.

Garcia’s victory also gave hope to the players who will now assume the label he shed Sunday: “Best player never to win a major.’’

That focus shifts from Garcia — who had played in 73 majors before this Masters without having won, despite finishing in the top 10 in 23 of them, including 12 top 5s and four runner-up finishes — to the likes of Lee Westwood, Matt Kuchar, Rickie Fowler, Luke Donald and Ian Poulter.

Now that Garcia, at age 37, was able to exorcise the demons so many of us questioned he ever would or could, those players still seeking a first major can cling to a renewed hope: If Garcia could do it, with all the baggage he accumulated over the years, so can they.

Westwood, 43, played in his 76th major championship this past week at Augusta. He’s finished second three times, including twice at the Masters, and third six times. He has 18 top-10 finishes in majors.

Kuchar, 38, played in his 45th major and has eight top-10 finishes and three top 5s, including his tie for fourth Sunday. Kuchar finished tied for third at the Masters in 2012, tied for eighth in 2013 and tied for fifth in 2014.

Fowler is still young, 28, but the pressure is building for him to win his first major — particularly because his young contemporaries, such as Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Jason Day, have done it already.

Fowler, who 11th despite beginning the final round Sunday only one shot off the lead, just played in his 29th major. He has two runner-up finishes and five top 5s. In 2015, he finished in the top 5 in all four majors.

Donald, 39, is a former No. 1ranked player and has played in 53 majors with only two top-3 finishes.

Poulter, 41, has played in 53 majors and has one runner-up, two thirds and eight top-10 finishes.

There are others to whom that label applies, but none as obvious as Garcia was before Sunday.

In October at the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine in Minnesota, when Garcia was asked about how the American crowds treated him, he joked, “Well, I definitely know I haven’t won a major. I’ve been reminded probably 300 times that I haven’t won a major this week.’’

Indeed, everywhere Garcia finished tied for walked at Hazeltine, he heard chants from the home crowd reminding him of his failure to win a major.

“The only thing I can do is hopefully change that up, so the next time we come to the U.S., they will tell me, ‘Ah, you only have one major,’ or something like that, which will sound a little bit better,’’ Garcia said.

After his win Sunday, his Green Jacket draped over his shoulders, Garcia had fun with that “best player never to win a major’’ label.

“The way I tried to look at it was in a positive way,’’ he said. “Obviously, I like where I stand now better. But it’s always nice to be recognized or seen as the best player to not have won a major, because at least [you’re recognized as a] ‘best player.’ There’s a good thing there. So that’s the way I looked at it.

“Well,’’ he went on, “I don’t have to answer that anymore. Now I’ll have to answer … I don’t know … I’ll be the best player to have only won one major. But I can live with that.’’

Turning serious, Garcia said, “Because where my head was at sometimes, I did think, ‘Am I ever going to win one? I’ve had so many good chances and either I lost them or someone has done something extraordinary to beat me.’ So it did cross my mind.’’

When a reporter tried to make an analogy comparing Garcia’s career — pre-2017 Masters — to a horror movie because of his string of major championship heartbreaks and missteps, Garcia would have none of that.

“Not in the least bit,’’ he said. “I have a beautiful life. Major or no major, I said it many, many times. I have an amazing life. Obviously, this is something I wanted to do for a long time, but it never felt like a horror movie. It felt like a little bit of a drama maybe, but obviously with a happy ending.’’