Sergio Garcia is starting to get up in years.
The young lad who scissor-kicked his way into the hearts of many a golf fan during the 1999 PGA Championship at Medinah Country Club in Illinois, where he came one shot shy of champion Tiger Woods, is 36 now.
“Can you believe it?” Garcia said over the phone from Orlando, where he was hosting a junior golf tournament in early May. “The years go by quickly.”
But the Spaniard is doing everything he can to slow the unrelenting procession of time, looking for any way to continue being the kid who fell in love with golf at Club de Campo del Mediterraneo in Castellon, Spain, under the guiding eye of his father, Victor.
There’s an Olympics to gear up for, after all.
Forever all in for team, country and continent — his favorite event is the Ryder Cup — Garcia can’t wait to represent Spain in Rio de Janeiro as golf returns to the Olympic program for the first time in 112 years. Twenty-four years ago Garcia’s childhood dreams were amended when the Barcelona 1992 Olympics came to his country.
While it would take another 17 years before golf’s return to the Games was announced, Garcia began dreaming of a chance to tee it up in the world’s biggest sporting event.
“It was huge to have the Olympics in our country. That was the first time I remember feeling very strongly about the Olympics. And the Dream Team came and that was huge,” said Garcia, who also is determined to play at age 40 in the Tokyo 2020 Games. “From the beginning, I’ve always loved the Olympics. … I’m really looking forward to the opening ceremonies, walking with the flag and the whole team from Spain. I think it will be amazing. ...
“To see so many different sports in the same spot is just amazing. I hope to watch some track and field, some tennis. And there’s the whole atmosphere at the Olympics, meeting great athletes in other sports in the Olympic Village. I can’t wait.”
Others, however, are taking a pass. Some prominent players, including Adam Scott and Louis Oosthuizen, have opted not to participate in the Olympics, citing concerns including travel, the Zika virus and political unrest in Brazil. Garcia understands the concerns and doesn’t begrudge those not going. But the benefits outweigh the potential negatives, he said.
He has a chance to win a medal and hopes to help grow the game worldwide.
“I think it’s huge, golf getting back into the Olympics. When you are in the Olympics your sport will get a boost,” Garcia said. “Obviously some guys have decided not to go, but I think personally it’s really big for the game.
“People all over the world watch the Olympics. A lot of people.”
Garcia, who also is more than adept on the tennis court and soccer pitch, has been a world-class golfer for 20 years, a winner of 28 professional titles. While he hasn’t won a major championship despite 20 top-10s in the game’s four biggest tournaments, he’s been a stalwart for Europe in seven Ryder Cups and teamed with Jose Maria Olazabal and Miguel Angel Jimenez to win the 1999 Alfred Dunhill Cup for Spain.
His consistency stems from his training, which is similar to programs used by other Olympic athletes. As one of the game’s best ball-strikers inside the ropes, he has kept his body in shape through exercise, pounding golf balls on the range and adhering to a healthy diet. The challenge to get better every week has been a driving force, whether he’s in the weight room, at the dining table, jogging or putting.
“It is so difficult to be a part of the Olympics,” Garcia said. “It’s tougher to get into than a Ryder Cup. ...
“It’s difficult to play professional golf, too. You have to keep working hard. As you get older you have to take care of yourself a little bit more. In everything you do. Workouts and practice and what you eat. You can’t overdo it. As you get older it’s easier to hurt yourself. You have to know your body and know your limits.
“And I’ve been lucky … the food we have in Spain is amazing. So many different kinds of foods. I’m not a guy who only eats meat or just fish. That keeps me fairly lean — especially if I don’t eat too much ice cream.”
Garcia’s commitment to his craft includes taking advantage of technological advancements and innovations made by his long-time partners, TaylorMade and Adidas. That includes the clubs he hits and the ball he uses, as well as the clothes he wears and the shoes he laces up.
Garcia is part of the Geared for More platform recently rolled out by Adidas Golf. “It’s a platform that pretty much speaks of the technology in everything we wear, the comfort, the style, the performance it brings to us,” Garcia said. “You’re always trying to improve every single week. That’s what Adidas does. I try to do the same thing and there are a lot of ways to do that.”
Garcia will continue chasing titles around the world. Now he can pursue medals, too.
“It will be very high up,” if he wins a medal, Garcia said. “It will be right up there with the Ryder Cups, with a major if I win one, with The Players Championship I won. It would be great.”
PHOTOS: U.S. ATHLETES WHO HAVE QUALIFIED FOR RIO
