AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Prior to competing in his first Masters Tournament as an amateur, 18 long years ago, Sergio Garcia played a Tuesday practice round at Augusta National. One of his playing partners that day was a player he would spend much of the next decade chasing, sometimes quite literally, Tiger Woods. The other was one of his heroes, Seve Ballesteros.
When asked the next day to explain Ballesteros' influence on his career, the bright-eyed, peach-fuzzed Garcia replied, "He has been like almost a second dad. He has taken care of me at the British Open twice and in Augusta, we played some practice rounds.