Sergio Garcia, relaxed and rolling once again

We bust on Sergio Garcia all the time around here, but every so often he reminds us who exactly the multimillion-dollar world-traveling golf pro is, and who he isn't. 

In the second round at the Australian Masters, Garcia rolled in a putt that would have been five stories high had it been straight down. Now, after two rounds, Garcia is the only non-Aussie in the top 10, ranking alone in fourth with a 4-under, six strokes behind leader Adam Bland. (For the curious: Tiger Woods is 1-under.) It's a major turnaround for a guy who as recently as last month was in the curiously honorary position of assistant Ryder Cup captain.

So yes, Sergio is surging. However, as Golf Girl's Diary pointed out, there may well be a reason for his success: the as-yet-unnamed lovely lady who's been spotted accompanying Garcia around town. Makes sense, right? If the guy falls apart when breaking up with a girl, he must play better when he's in love, right? Whatever, we're veering into dangerously Lifetime TV-esque territory.

Anyway, good on ya, Sergio. Keep 'em in the fairway. (I'm being literal, but feel free to entendre that to death.)

Related: Adam Bland, Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia

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Sergio Garcia misses cut in Spain, again sounds like he hates golf

Just a few days ago, we posted a story about Sergio Garcia and his current attitude about golf. The 30-year-old Spaniard had taken two months off of competitive golf to try and love it again, and was back at his hometown golf tournament ready to jump back on the pro golf pony.

Garcia even mentioned hoping to be number one in the world someday, a far cry from his tales of falling out of love with golf that forced him to take the hiatus.

But it didn't come so easy for Sergio. He missed the cut after rounds of 71-73, and was once again complaining about the passion he feels for the sport.

"It's tough for me especially missing the cut here. The way I putted I feel as though I am back to where I was when I left the game in the summer. It's very frustrating."

The bad putting he is referring to came mostly in the second round, when Garcia had five very short putts that he couldn't cash in, and he wasn't around on the weekend for his first tournament back since his missed cut at the PGA Championship.

Sure, not making the cut in an event your hosting has to be embarrassing and demoralizing, but it isn't the end of the world. He took a lot of time off from the game, and will have to get his sea legs back before he can fully compete on a top level.

That said, if you don't at least toy with the idea that Garcia could be using a long-putter by this time next year, you're crazy.

Related: Sergio Garcia

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Sergio Garcia is back this week, and that's a good thing

You never quite know what Sergio Garcia is up to next. One minute he's winning the Players Championship and the next he's missing cuts at a consistent rate. One minute he's 19, making a run at a major championship, and the next he's 30, taking two months off from the game that made him famous.

But, Garcia is back from his hiatus, and seems energized to be playing again. A vice captain at the Ryder Cup (And for full disclosure, a very good vice captain as it appeared), Garcia decided to leave golf for two months after the PGA Championship, admitting in one of his most honest interviews, "I need to miss the game a little bit." As you can see at Whistling Straits, where Garcia missed the cut after going "Full Metal Jacket" on a greenside bunker, the time was much needed.

But Sergio is back. Starting Thursday, Garcia will be playing in his hometown at the Castello Masters. He said he's ready to get back to golf, and then pulled a little Ernie Els move on us, telling the world that he wants to be No. 1. From the Associated Press:

"I needed a break because I had lost the desire to play, and practicing had become an obligation.

"Since turning pro 12 years ago I have not had a proper break -- even when you take two weeks out during the season you are practicing," Garcia added. "Now, on the contrary, I feel full of energy again and actually enjoy practicing. I have set myself new goals. I hope to return gradually to where I should be and perform to my full potential, that is to be world No. 1."

Wow, sounds like quite the different man than a couple of months ago. While Sergio has always been an easy target for writers and bloggers alike, the guy is good for golf and having him energized and back on the links can only be a positive thing.

Does Garcia have that "it" factor to actually win a major championship before his career is done? Nobody can really say at this point, because it seems anytime he's there, a mistake or two keeps him from closing it out. Does a new-found respect for the game that he has always excelled in give him a better chance at this in the coming years? Absolutely, and maybe more guys should take a page out of Garcia's book and step away for an extended period of time when things get gloomy.

Related: Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia

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