A whole 339 days have passed since the curtain fell at Augusta National for the 81st edition of the Masters Tournament since then Sergio Garcia has witnessed the three greatest triumphs of his life.
On his 74th attempt at trying to land a career-making major title, Garcia triumphed in a sudden-death playoff over Justin Rose to claim his breakthrough major win at the Masters Tournament last April.
Followed in July, when he married his girlfriend, Angela Akins.
Today, the couple has welcomed their first child, a little girl, and given her the perfect name as a tribute to her dad’s emotional triumph at Augusta: Azalea.
I’ve been fortunate to have an amazing career, an amazing life and now it’s getting even better.
Azalea Garcia was welcomed into the world early at 1:54 a.m. on March 14, hours after Sergio continued his Master’s duties and held a conference call from the hospital room in Austin Texas:
Beautiful Azalea Adele Garcia was born on March 14 at 1:54am. So proud and impressed with my wife @TheAngelaAkins and the way she handled the pregnancy and delivery! Love you both so much😍😍 pic.twitter.com/IGu1tV1QlA
— Sergio Garcia (@TheSergioGarcia) March 14, 2018
“It has been an eventful morning. About an hour and a half ago Angela’s water broke. It’s very exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time.
“It’s kind of surreal. It has been unbelievable with everything that has been going on, but it has been great, every moment of it.”
The unique first name, if you hadn’t noticed, honouring the pink plants blooming in spring, for which Augusta National is renowned. A greater tribute, Azalea, is the name given to the 13th hole at Augusta, where Garcia won the Masters:
“As soon as I made that putt, I pretty much hit every shot the way I wanted,” he said. “That catapulted me.”
A tee-shot that proved to be a big miss and tucked itself in the deepest part of Amen Corner. A recovery shot punched out of the trees finding the fairway and a chance to save par. A pitch eighty-seven yards over the creek landing on the green. The par putt silencing crowds across the course before erupting into joy.
All of that on the thirteenth hole at Augusta National, the place where Sergio Garcia made his challenge for the green jacket and lost the accolade ‘best player to never win a major’.
He’ll return to the site of greatest golfing achievement in early April, this time with a wife, child and a 38″ green jacket, what a difference a year can make.
Congratulations Sergio and Angela!
