Can You Learn Greatness? Sergio Garcia…Again

I’ve discussed greatness several times in the past.

What makes Tiger Woods different from the rest of the golfers? Is it simply that he wins?

Is greatness born or made?

Michael Jordan didn’t show greatness in high school, when he was cut from the team. Phil Mickelson was considered a prodigy, even in grade school, and he hasn’t won as many major championships as Tiger Woods (who was also considered a prodigy.)

And then there are those athletes like Sergio Garcia.

I’ve argued several times that he’ll never be “great” because he didn’t look within himself for improvement. In the last several years, it was always someone else’s fault when he didn’t win.

Or, frankly, he just said that Tiger was unbeatable- which doesn’t sound like the talk of a champion to me.

Well- there was Sergio Garcia again in the thick of things at the PGA Championship over the weekend.

But a strange thing happened. In the words of golf commentator, and Masters Champion, Nick Faldo- this was a “new Sergio.”

Can someone learn to be great?

Sergio has really worked on his game- especially the mental aspect. This weekend, the choker didn’t show up. This weekend, Sergio putted well. This weekend, he didn’t panic as the pressure got more intense.

Sergio is 30 years old. Is this the beginning of him finally realizing his greatness?

It would have been a better story had Sergio actually WON the tournament. He did not. He lost in the last two holes- not by collapsing- but just by being beat by someone who was playing even better.

And he said so in the interview afterwards. He gave no excuses about why he didn’t win. He said simply that he played well but Padrig Harrington played better.

But you could see his attitude had changed. It appears that Mr. Garcia no longer believes that majors are out of his reach- even if Tiger Woods wasn’t in the field (due to injury.)

Is this merely “the secret”? The belief that positive energy begats more positive energy?

Maybe.

Or maybe Sergio is just learning how to be great.

Greatness can be learned. Greatness comes to many who overcome adversity. It’s really about persistence. The great ones continue to try to succeed even when the odds are against them.

Sergio might have turned the corner. Or has he?

Stay tuned.