Garcia wants to share champions' locker with Olazabal

Masters winner Sergio Garcia wants a spot in the champions' locker room with hero Jose Maria Olazabal.

Published : Apr 10, 2017 20:43 IST

Sergio Garcia would like to share a spot in the champions' locker room with Jose Maria Olazabal after ending his long wait for a major title with victory at the Masters.

Garcia has developed an unwanted reputation as golf's nearly man, but he shed that moniker at Augusta with a play-off triumph over Justin Rose.

The win was made more emotional by the fact it fell on what would have been the 60th birthday of Garcia's hero and compatriot Seve Ballesteros.

Another of Garcia's idols, Olazabal - a two-time winner at Augusta - left a note for Garcia ahead of Thursday's opening round, and the new Masters champion is keen to take him up on an offer.

"Jose Maria's [note] was very special because he's my idol. He's one; him and Seve are both my golfing idols since I was very, very little.

"What he said, he mentioned just that you know what you have to do, just believe in yourself. Obviously he did mention a couple of things that did kind of touch my heart a little bit.

"He said, 'I'm not sharing my locker at the moment, and I hope that I get to do it with you'. So if you guys wouldn't mind putting me with Jose, it would be great! He's a great man and we've had a great relationship for many, many years.  

"To be able to join him and Seve as Masters champions from Spain, it's unbelievable."

Asked if his previous near-misses at majors had made him feel like he was living in a horror movie, Garcia replied: "Not at all. Not in the least bit. Not at all. I have a beautiful life. Major or no major, I said it many, many times: I have an amazing life.

"I have so many people that care for me and love me and support me. I feel so nicely surrounded. And obviously this is something I wanted to do for a long time but, you know, it never felt like a horror movie.  

"It felt like a little bit of a drama maybe, but obviously with a happy ending."

Unfortunately for Garcia, it does not look like he will be able to keep his green jacket on for his wedding to fiancee Angela Akins.

"We were just talking about it. This one is a little bit too big," he said. "It would be nice, but no - I don't know. We'll get to the point when we get there."

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