2007 Open: Sergio Garcia So Close Yet So Far

The 136th Open Championship at Carnoustie proved again that it wasn't quite Sergio Garcia's turn to lift the Claret Jug and claim his first major.

2007 Open: Sergio Garcia So Close Yet So Far

Up until he finally secured his first and heavily deserved major title at Augusta in 2017, Sergio Garcia had done everything in the game but win one. In all four majors he had come close to getting the monkey off his back. With five top-10's in six Open Championships for the Spaniard, Carnoustie in 2007 was no different.

Garcia headed into the final round with a three shot lead over Steve Stricker and hoped to win his first major title wire-to-wire.

After birding the 3rd hole to be the first player to get to double digits for the tournament, Garcia was looking very strong to get the job done. However Carnoustie produced it's usual troubles and tribulations throughout the day. The infamous nickname 'Carnastie' was back in business.

The Spaniard produced three bogeys in four holes to end his front 9 on +2 for his round and 7-under for the tournament which at this stage had him tied for the lead with Padraig Harrington who was two holes ahead of him.

Related: 2018 Open Championship Tee Times

The crazy roller-coaster round for Garcia continued into the back nine where he birdied holes 13 and 14 but then bogeyed 15.

Eventually he came to the 18th. 71 holes had been played and he was one shot clear going into the treacherous par-4 18th. 499 yards was all that separated between him and the Claret Jug. No one wanted a repeat of Jean Van de Velde 8 years previously, however Garcia needed to par the hole to win. That was no easy task.

Garcia couldn't quite do the champions walk up the 18th fairway just yet when a 10 foot par putt was there staring him down on the green.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3qJNhA4Sbg&t=6s

Sadly, Garcia's lacklustre finishing touches at major championships continue as the putt lipped out to force a play off with Padraig Harrington.

Pressure got the better of Sergio almost immediately as he bogeyed the first hole of the four-hole playoff and ending up losing by a shot.

The 137th Open proved to be another year for the phrase 'so close yet so far' in relation to Sergio's Major drought.

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