From whiner to winner

AS the shadows grew longer at twilight time at Augusta last Sunday and dawn cracked to welcome another day in Singapore, Sergio Garcia was lost in his thoughts. He was being ferried to the 18th-hole tee box, alongside another buggy carrying Justin Rose, his final opponent from an exclusive field of 94 world-class golfers, for the Masters play-off last Sunday.

Garcia was no doubt harassed. He had been there (especially in a Major play-off with Padraig Harrington at the 2007 British Open), but not done it - he lost by a stroke at Carnoustie.

Seconds or tied-seconds were his previous bests at Majors, as evident in the 2014 British Open and the 1999 and 2008 US PGA Championship.