U.S. Open: Sergio Garcia looks to keep major form rolling at Erin Hills

Sergio Garcia looks to make another step in golf history at the 2017 U.S. Open

It was a long time coming – 18 years, to be specific – but Sergio Garcia finally realized his full potential this past April. That Sunday in Augusta, when he finally won the Masters Tournament, Garcia joined a truly elite fraternity of golf legends. This week, he’ll attempt to do so once again at Erin Hills.

Should Garcia find a way to triumph at the relative infant of a course that is Erin Hills, he’ll become just the seventh player in history to win the Masters and U.S. Open in the same year. The only other players to accomplish that feat are Ben Hogan, Craig Wood, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. Pretty rare air, indeed.

But the question remains, can he even do it? Erin Hills is no Augusta National, in more ways than one. The length is like nothing seen before at a major venue, even if much of it is downhill. Garcia’s record in the U.S. Open is solid, proving he can adapt to different conditions. But Garcia has been at his best at “classic” tracks, like Oakmont in 2016 (T5) or Pinehurst in 2005 (T3).

While the course, even with its recently reduced mass of fescue, will provide its challenges, what Garcia will have to contend with the most is his own expectation. As Ben Everill of PGATOUR.com points out, Garcia has been good since bringing home the green jacket, but not necessarily to his own standards.

Garcia is attempting to move forward the same way he did before The Masters

The key word this week for Garcia, as it always has been, is consistency. It’s why he’s only missed two cuts in 16 U.S. Open appearances, compared to five top-ten finishes.

"I’ve always said it – wins are important but to me consistency is the most important thing. And I’ve been fortunate to be consistent throughout my whole career – Sergio GarciaJun 14, 2017; Erin, WI, USA; Sergio Garcia follows his drive off the 12th tee during a practice round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Erin Hills. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY SportsI want to keep being consistent, keep playing well, keep giving myself chances at winning majors and being in Ryder Cups and all those things. So to me that’s the best motivation possible, to keep that consistency going. And if I want to do that I have to keep working hard.If I do that then hopefully those lulls – I’m sure that some lows will come – but hopefully they’ll be short ones and we can get over them as quickly as possible."

More from US Open

Those lulls he’s talking about haven’t been happening much. Garcia hasn’t missed a cut worldwide since last year’s PGA Championship. That tournament was crammed in six weeks after the U.S. Open at Oakmont, in order to accomodate the Olympic golf tournament; pretty much the opposite of consistency, if you ask me.

From tee to green, in 2017, Garcia is about as balanced a player as you can find. He currently ranks second in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee, combining decent distance (averaging 299.6 yards) with solid accuracy (65.28% of fairways in regulation) to earn plenty of scoring chances.

As much pressure as Sergio may feel internally, he also understands that this week is, as much as possible, no different than any other. With the ability to separate his Masters triumph from what lies ahead, don’t sleep on Garcia’s chances to make more history at Erin Hills.

Next: U.S. Open 2017: A Complete Guide to all 156 Players

What do you think? Can Sergio keep the major championship momentum going or will the 117th U.S. Open elude the Spaniard’s grasp?

Home/US Open