Some of football’s greatest players have walked out into the atmosphere of an El Clasico. Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Johan Cruyff, Zinedine Zidane. The list is endless.
One of golf ’s modern greats, however, also knows exactly what that feeling is like, as boyhood Real Madrid fan Sergio Garcia was able to do exactly that, all whilst donning the most famous jacket in sport. Garcia finally ended his wait for major success in 2017, as the LIV Golf star won arguably the biggest title of all by being crowned Masters champion.
He was the biggest name of his generation yet to win a flagship event, but a playoff victory over his European Ryder Cup ally Justin Rose finally ended this wait and saw him join one of golf’s most prestigious clubs.
As every champion does, Garcia was handed an iconic green jacket from Augusta National bosses as a reward for his win. What many do not know, however, is that each champion is only given one jacket, and the famous piece of tailoring must remain on the property in Georgia.
Jacket holders are, however, given the year following their victory to parade it around as they please, and Garcia was able to do so in front of 89,000 fans in football’s biggest fixture. The Spaniard was given the role of taking the honorary kick-off between his beloved Madrid and their Barcelona rivals in 2017 in front of a packed house at the Bernbeau.
Whilst the Spanish star has more than made a name for himself as one of his country’s top athletes, he was able to live out a boyhood dream with the Madrid faithful chanting out his name in the moments leading up to kick-off.
“I remember the game perfectly,” he told Mirror Sport . “We were losing 2-1, we got a guy sent off, then James Rodriguez scored to make it 2-2 in the 85th, 86th minute. Then Messi scored in the 93rd minute, the one where he held up the shirt in front of the crowd.
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“That feeling; I get goosebumps now thinking about it. I remember the feeling of walking onto the pitch with the green jacket on and having the Bernabeu full with 89,000 chanting my name. I remember that it was amazing. For me, being a Real Madrid fan and having been to that stadium so many times and have them chanting your name. It was unbelievable.”
Garcia has been reunited with his green jacket this week as he tees it up in the 100th major of his career. Upon arrival, he will make his way into the champions’ locker room, open up his locker, and lock eyes on the jacket, a welcoming that is as special each year as the last.
“It is amazing and a dream come true,” he said of being able to make his way into the locker room every April. “Something very few people get the chance to be a part of.” As for his chances of adding win No. 2, Garcia is a man in form, currently sitting second in the LIV standings, having already won in Singapore.
With the Spaniard bringing up a century of majors, though, his main aim is to enjoy himself, with a challenge for the title an added bonus. “I will go and do my best. It is my 100th major, the Masters. I want to go there, I want to enjoy the week no matter what kind of game I bring.
“is my first goal, to go there and enjoy it as much as I can, then hopefully I feel good and free and are able to play well, and maybe even have a chance of winning again. If it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t matter; it is a big week, and I want to enjoy it.”
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