© Andrew Reddingon/Getty Images

There were cheerful smiles and friendly chatter between Adam Scott and Sergio Garcia as they shook hands on the first tee today and began their Saturday rounds. And understandably so, for these young golfers know each other well and have many things in common that go far beyond playing together today -- and beyond hitting their first tee shots into the fairway bunker on No. 1.

Start with the fact that Scott the Aussie and Garcia the Spaniard each has a home in the charming Swiss alpine burg of Crans-sur-Sierre, site of the annual European Masters. Scott lives right by the local golf club in a chalet-style building called Turnberry, while Sergio resides in one nearby dubbed -- believe it or not -- Augusta. Both golfers were born in 1980, both of their fathers were teaching pros, and both have won the Players Championship. Each has taken six titles on the European PGA Tour, and they have had almost equal success in the U.S., with Garcia capturing seven PGA Tour events in his career, and Scott six. Sergio is a stalwart on the European Ryder Cup team, and Adam a regular on the International squad for the President’s Cup.

Not all their similarities are positive ones however, and it’s difficult not to consider these traits as the players stride up the verdant fairway on the 1st. Neither has ever done very well at the Masters; Scott has one top-ten finish in eight trips to Augusta, and Garcia one in 11 tournaments. In addition, neither has ever won a major championship even though the golfing public has frequently pegged them most likely to do so. They have both come close, with Garcia just missing in the British Open at Carnoustie in 2008, for example, and he and Scott tying for third in the PGA Championship at Medinah in 2006. But they have not been able to seal the deal, and as a result, they lug around that burdensome moniker of “Best Players Never To Have Won A Major.”

Truth be told, another tie that binds Scott and Garcia is their rather undistinguished play in this year’s Masters. At least so far. They both started the day at even par and eight strokes back of the co-leaders, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter. And both will likely go home Sunday night, once again without that coveted Green Jacket.

Patron Comments