Masterful moment for Sergio Garcia | Mike Kern

IN GOLF, there's always a next one. It's in the rules. And once upon a time, Sergio Garcia was that guy.

Back then, who knew it would take him forever to get there?

I was there at the 1999 PGA, when he took Tiger Woods to the limit at Medinah. He made a run on the closing nine that was punctuated by his shot off a tree trunk late in the round, which somehow made it onto the green. But it was his reaction to it, his running up the fairway while his ball was in flight, and then putting his hands over his eyes, playing to the crowd, which he followed by flashing that exuberant smile, that remained with us. Was there any doubt he was going to be Tiger's rival for years or even decades to come, and that the game would be the better for that?

But stuff happens. Ask Colin Montgomerie.

I was there at the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black, when Sergio was constantly regripping the club and the New York fans were constantly keeping count of how many times he was doing it. Out loud, of course, as a not-so-gentle reminder. And Sergio didn't do himself any favors by saying how Woods got all the breaks with the weather and tee times, and that wasn't fair. And just like that Garcia wasn't such a cute kid anymore.

I was there at the 2007 British Open at Carnoustie, where I had picked him to win. And he would have, had his makable par putt on the 72nd hole not lipped out. So he lost in a playoff to Padraig Harrington, who would also outduel him at the PGA 13 months later. Anyway, Sergio was anything but gracious afterward. He complained that he didn't get any breaks from the golf Gods, because a tee shot at a par 3 in the playoff hit off the pin and took an unfriendly bounce. What he failed to note was that Harrington had taken a double-bogey on the 72nd hole playing just ahead of Sergio to relinquish the lead. That kind of sounds like a good break.

Garcia became the best golfer to have never won a major, which is the last thing you want to be known as. There were times when even he questioned whether he ever would. Or could.

I was also there at Ryder Cups, and watched others that were held across the pond, where he was nearly unbeatable. He and Monty were the European leaders, on the course and off. And for every 5-foot putt Sergio missed at the most inopportune times in the biggest tournament spots, he holed out more than his share of 25-footers in match play to stab another poor American in the heart.

And it was starting to look as if, like Monty, that would have to be his legacy. Along with a Hall of Fame career.

Not any more. He's got a green jacket. The annual Masters champions dinner might never be the same.

And the game is finally better for it, just like we thought it would be nearly two decades ago.

It wasn't just that he did it. It was the way it unfolded. There had been way too many moments in the past where adversity got the best of him, for whatever reasons. He once said that Augusta National wasn't for him. But he's always been one of the best ball-strikers out there. Maybe his mind just kept getting in the way. And some folks were probably glad it did. With expectations come doubters. There was a lot of scar tissue. Now he's validated.

Sunday would have been the 60th birthday of Seve Ballesteros, if cancer hadn't taken him from us a few years back. Do you believe in omens? In 1999, Sergio had made it into Butler Cabin as the low amateur. That was the same year Jose Maria Olazabal won his second Masters. Really? Garcia became the first person to eagle No. 15 en route to victory since, yep, Olazabal in 1994. Should we mention that it was the first eagle for Garcia in 424 holes at Augusta. How do you make that up?

He started the afternoon tied for the lead with 2013 U.S. Open champ Justin Rose. He went ahead by three on the front nine. He trailed by two early on the back side. They put on a show, heavyweight material. Sergio had a 6-footer for birdie on the last hole to win, but it slid just right. And you figured you'd seen this movie before. But he came right back on the same hole, the first hole of the playoff, and hit another memorable approach shot. This time he sank the putt, even though he could have gotten down in two and still won after Rose hit his drive in the trees and narrowly missed his par try.

There can be no more questions. The look on his face when he ended things was pure exhilaration. At the same time, you knew he had to be feeling relieved. Like the world had been lifted off his back. Only he could appreciate all that went into this snapshot. It was a lifetime in the making.

This time, his emotions didn't destroy him. And when it was over, he looked very much like that kid we had first seen 18 years earlier.

It still looks good on him. Wonder what's next?

kernm@phillynews.com

@mikekerndn