He's baaaaaaaaack!!! Sergio

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by MSchott

It would be great for golf if Sergio once again was competitive in big tournaments. He'd quickly become the most recognizable big name other than Tiger and Phil on the tour and would bring a lot of excitement back to the game. We'll have to wait for the 2012 PGA tour to see.

Sounds like you're longing for the 2002 PGA Tour.

I like it when Sergio's in the field because there's always something crazy around the next corner. Crazy good, crazy rude, or just plain crazy, but always entertaining. Like a skinny John Daly.

[The_Pharaoh]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

Like a skinny John Daly.

Or the Spanish Tiger Woods. I'm not a Sergio fan as he doesn't know how to behave himself either on the golf course or off it. I lost all respect for him after he spat in a hole once. And then you only have to listen to his post-Open interview after losing to Harrington, to know what sort of person he is.

[The_Pharaoh]

Originally Posted by shades9323

You 2 are showing your anti-American bias. The Castello Maters had ZERO top 20 players in the field.  The Andalucia Masters had 3 in the top 20. Had Sergio not won the previous week, there would have only been 2 top 20 players.

I couldn't be less anti-American if I tried. Although British through and through, I studied in the US for 5 years and love everything about the US.

The quality on both tours is so high now that there really aren't any "weakened fields". To win on either tour you have to be really good. There is not a massive difference between the number one player in the world and the number 150. If you finish ahead of another 155 pros on the European or PGA Tour you're good and nothing should be taken away from you.

[shades9323]

Originally Posted by deasy55

Sorry, I meant the actual name of the whole place, "The Sand Trap".  I wasn't trying to say it's biased towards "American Golfers", I was merely saying it's roots are American. It's not meant as an insult or anything in any way. Sorry for the confusion, I didn't phrase it well originally.

Your original comment that I took issue with came off as insulting to American's. That is why I made a stink about it.  Even though you were insulting yourself in the process, some of us take exception to those kind of comments.

[inthehole]

good for him ... but gotta admit, Sergio has the wierdest repetitive grip adjustment thing he does before every iron shot - kind of annoying, but he does it every time, so it's obviously ingrained in his setup.     My wife thinks he looks alot like Ben Stiller, so she's a fan too.

[Merlin76]

It's good to see Sergio back, hope he keeps it going for 2012

[jamo]

good for him ... but gotta admit, Sergio has the wierdest repetitive grip adjustment thing he does before every iron shot - kind of annoying, but he does it every time, so it's obviously ingrained in his setup.     My wife thinks he looks alot like Ben Stiller, so she's a fan too.

He's a lot better than the way he used to be. He got heckled when he did it during the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage because he would stand over the ball regripping for hours before he hit the ball.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by inthehole

good for him ... but gotta admit, Sergio has the wierdest repetitive grip adjustment thing he does before every iron shot - kind of annoying, but he does it every time, so it's obviously ingrained in his setup.     My wife thinks he looks alot like Ben Stiller, so she's a fan too.

He probably has slight OCD. It's annoying but not necessarily something to be mocked. I wonder what my neighbours say when I have to do a 180 past my house to make sure the garage door is really closed?!?

[The_Pharaoh]

Originally Posted by jamo

he would stand over the ball regripping for hours before he hit the ball.

That's true. It used to be a minimum of 18 regrips before he pulled the trigger!

[MSchott]

Originally Posted by The_Pharaoh

Or the Spanish Tiger Woods. I'm not a Sergio fan as he doesn't know how to behave himself either on the golf course or off it. I lost all respect for him after he spat in a hole once. And then you only have to listen to his post-Open interview after losing to Harrington, to know what sort of person he is.

I agree that Sergio hasn't always been the greatest role model. However people can and do change and maybe Sergio has tried to be more mature. I don't like when people make judgements on others based on anecdotal information and when they don't allow for people who screw up to atone for their mistakes.

[The_Pharaoh]

Originally Posted by MSchott

I agree that Sergio hasn't always been the greatest role model. However people can and do change and maybe Sergio has tried to be more mature. I don't like when people make judgements on others based on anecdotal information and when they don't allow for people who screw up to atone for their mistakes.

Living in Spain, I have been following Sergio since he first started appearing in the (golfing) news at age 16. He's never been a good role model. The Spaniards only support him when there is no other Spaniard in sight. 99.9% of the country wanted Jimenez to win the Andalusia Masters. I mentioned only a couple of "anecdotes" but the list could have been as long as my arm. According to good friends of mine that know the Garcias, basically Sergio and his father, they are the most hated family at their local club. Which is saying something when Sergio's father is the head pro there. It may be all smiles now as he has just won twice in a row, but let's see how he reacts when he hits his next putting slump.

I agree with you that people can change and do, but not in Sergio's case. If you are the sort of person that has been spitting in holes, swearing at rules officials, blaming others for your failures etc. for 16 years, it's very difficult to turn that sort of behaviour off. If Steve Stricker spat in a hole, I'd agree with you that it was anecdotal, a one-off.

[Yukari]

Just to set the record straight, I am no fan of Sergio.  Don't assume you know something...as everyone knows what ASSUME does to one.

I do however appreciate someone who was down in the dumps and getting back to playing well.  I know how hard this game is, so for someone to lose their game and then come back from the brink of abyss (ala David Duval who seems to be forever lost in abyss), it means something.

Originally Posted by sean_miller

If you were born there, aren't you completely American regardless of where your parents are from? I thought that's how the melting pot worked, but maybe I have that wrong.

Maybe you guys just need a reality check. Look at the threads on this site that are started to discuss 2nd Tier PGA Tour events (unfortunately my national Open is on that list) and most European Tour events. There are very few posters because at the end of the day, nobody cares. . . unless one of their favourites is in the field, like the guy who always just posts about AK and yukari who seems to be a big Sergio fan.

[mcfc_nick]

it really wasnt a weak field, it was just a european tour field! also regardless of the field, he finished 6 under at valderrama which is some feat in itself and back-to-back wins are impressive wherever you play!

[makaveli]

Originally Posted by mcfc_nick

it really wasnt a weak field, it was just a european tour field!

What do you mean?

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by makaveli

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcfc_nick

it really wasnt a weak field, it was just a european tour field!

What do you mean?

I suspect he means that European Tour players in general aren't household names in America but they're still pretty decent touring professionals. Much like the rank and file PGA Tour players who fill the bulk of the spots in the PGA Tour's "second tier" events are still competitive enough to not discount winning one of those events, but as a group we do it all the time. I know I do.

[michaeljames92]

He was hitting some stinker tee shots with his driver and even fairway woods. I'm not sure if you saw the divots he was taking off the tee with his 3 wood but they weren't shallow by any stretch of the imagination, and he basically hit a slice all week.

[makaveli]

I really don't like this arrogant and snobbish (imho) attitute towards the Euro Tour, especially in this period of the history where its showing pretty good golf compared to the US Tour, but I understand not everyone is like me. Thank you for your interpretation of that post btw, but I will wait for mcfc_nick explanation! ;)

Originally Posted by sean_miller

I suspect he means that European Tour players in general aren't household names in America but they're still pretty decent touring professionals. Much like the rank and file PGA Tour players who fill the bulk of the spots in the PGA Tour's "second tier" events are still competitive enough to not discount winning one of those events, but as a group we do it all the time. I know I do.

[mcfc_nick]

Originally Posted by makaveli

What do you mean?

all im saying is that imo there were a hell of a lot of players playing there last week that were very, and i mean very good but as they play solely on the euro tour and dont go over to play in the US they arent as well known and arent as thought of as being as good as a lot of the players that compete on the PGA Tour. Now im not saying that you do this personally but i think that there are a lot of people over there who would think that just because they arent very well known in america then they arent very good. an example id say of this is that say rickie fowler was playing, imo a lot of people would see him as adding to the field and making it stronger despite him only having 1 (kind of) win, compare him to someone like Thomas Bjorn who has won three times this year yet i believe that some over there wouldnt really see him as adding to the field. i guess what im trying to say is that mainly because most of the players last week dont compete on the PGA tour then maybe they arent as well known to a lot of people (again not saying you) and as is fair if people arent that aware of certain players they arent gonna see them as adding to the field thus seeing it as weak when in fact it was a very strong field including people like Sergio, G-Mac, Justin Rose, Kaymer, Jimenez, Bjorn, Molinari, Manassero, Larrazabal, Quiros, Fisher.