Resilience helps Sergio Garcia complete perfect record in pod play

*Originally published by the Austin American-Statesman*

With the winds whipping down by Lake Austin, Sergio Garcia made his move.

The first 12 holes of the win-or-go-home match with Xander Schauffele were less than ideal for the Spaniard.

Garcia was 2 down standing on the 12th tee, and Schauffele seemed to have momentum on his side after a solid front nine.

But then something changed.

Garcia began to show the resilience that earned him his first major championship title at the Masters last April. Instead of sulking about his poor play, he stayed positive.

“I just kept giving myself chances,” Garcia said.

To be exact, he gave himself four chances coming down the stretch. And he converted on all of them.

He birdied the 12th hole with an up-and-down from the greenside bunker to pull within one hole. Another birdie on 13 squared the match with five holes to play.

Garcia then took advantage of the downwind 15th with a 316-yard drive. He played his approach shot to 8 feet and made the putt to go 1 up. Another birdie followed on No. 16. Coupled with Schauffele missing his short birdie opportunity, Garcia was 2 up. Schauffele then hit his tee shot left in the hazard on No. 17 to give Garcia the 3 and 1 victory.

“It’s fun to be here,” Garcia said. “We have so many friends here now. To be able to make it into the weekend so they can watch us play, it’s fun.”

Garcia has become a fan favorite in Austin during the past two years as he has made the city his second home. He married former UT golfer Angela Akins last summer, and the two welcomed their first child, Azalea, this month.

“The way I looked at it, when I was 2 down, I was like, ‘Well we are going to try and turn it around, but if I don’t, it means that I get to spend more time with Angela and Azalea for the weekend,’ ” Garcia said. “I tried to look at it in a good way. It didn’t mean that I wanted to lose. … Thinking of them brought a smile to my face.”

The support of the crowd must’ve brought a smile to his face as well. During Garcia’s back nine surge, cheers hailed from all sides of the course. Some cheers even came from the boats on Lake Austin for Austin’s adopted golf son.

Cheers of “Vamos, Sergio!” were heard all day, and far outnumbered the cheers for his American opponent. And Garcia sure knows how to cater to the hometown crowd.

“I’m a big fan of the Longhorns,” Garcia said after his round. “Obviously my wife was a Longhorn, and I always enjoy watching the football games and stuff. Hook ’em, baby.”

Garcia’s grit on the back nine brought back memories from his triumph at Augusta a year ago when he didn’t let bad luck affect his mentality. And the newfound perspective that comes from fatherhood seems to have helped as well.

“When things are not going great, I try to think of (Azalea), and it brings a smile to my face,” Garcia said. “I think it helps me.”