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Spanish colour: Sergio Garcia on Sky Sports this week

Tony Jacklin admits that at Muirfield in 1972, when he was going head-to-head with Lee Trevino in the final round of the Open to win his second Claret Jug, a three-putt at the last after Trevino had chipped in finished him as a major contender. Golfers can carry those scars for a long time so we will have to wait and see how quickly Sergio's heal.

Mark Roe
Quotes of the week

Mallorca Classic
Live on Sky Sports
Thu Oct 25 - Sun Oct 28
Highlights every night on Golf Night

Also see

• EuroTour Schedule
• World Rankings
• Golf live on Sky Sports

This week's live golf on Sky Sports, the Open de Mallorca, gives us a rare glimpse of one of Europe's elite players on the European Tour, Sergio Garcia.

Garcia plays most of his golf these days across the Atlantic on the PGA Tour but returned this year to prepare for the Open Championship at the Scottish Open, before heading back across the pond. He is back in Europe this weekend and as one of the world's great golfers, it will be great to get to watch him again in what has been another 'nearly' season.

Over in the States he has finished second in the Players' Championship and of course he finished second in the Open, but tied 66th at the Masters, 99th at the US Open and 72nd at the USPGA, the wait for a major, continues.

I believe Sergio plays most of his golf in the States because of the prize money, the World Ranking points and ultimately because I think it suits his game.

Some might also present the argument that playing in the States increases his chances of winning one of the three majors played over there, but that argument doesn't necessarily stand up for me.

Nick Faldo won six majors using Europe as his springboard, Sandy Lyle won two using Europe and Seve won five. Golfers on the European Tour play on different courses, in different conditions week-in, week-out and that essentially makes you a better shot-maker, ball-striker and better creatively. They are all assets you need to win a major.

Putting

If anything, just down the stretch of the last nine holes of a major tournament sometimes, his putting lets him down. I walked with Sergio during the Open and he had every opportunity to win, and should have won, he just couldn't hole a putt for the first 11 or 12 holes of his final round.

I could here be writing about the return of an Open champion but we are talking about the smallest of fractions that makes the difference between winning and coming close to winning majors. He has put himself into that position a number of times, so you cannot say that he is not one of the world's most talented golfers.

He says that he has never had any psychological help in his career and has never needed it. I think he needs some psychological help with his putting because he doesn't putt on the last day when in contention at a major, as he does on the other three days.

At Carnoustie he putted beautifully for three days but on the final round he became more negative on the greens and the putts weren't holed because they didn't have that little bit of extra pace to stay on line. They dribbled and were weak and you wouldn't see Tiger Woods do that.

Meltdown

That is they key for Sergio - he did everything right at the Open and his game stood up, until the final round and his putting. I don't know the damage that the Open Championship did to Sergio Garcia, no-one can tell you that. No-one can tell you how quickly he can turn that around mentally. Will he be strong next time in that position or will it haunt him forever?

Tony Jacklin admits that at Muirfield in 1972, when he was going head-to-head with Lee Trevino in the final round of the Open to win his second Claret Jug, a three-putt at the last after Trevino had chipped in finished him as a major contender. Golfers can carry those scars for a long time so we will have to wait and see how quickly Sergio's heal.

In regular everyday tour events, I don't think it will be an issue but the thing that separates good players from great players is a major championship. It is the key to everything for a golfer and the icing on the cake.

The kudos you carry with you forever as a major champion is more than money can buy. Many of these guys are multi-zillionaires - they have more money than they could ever spend - but you can't buy a major, you have to earn it.

These guys, including Sergio, would give up five tour wins and $20million to have a major. That is why the pressure is so intense on the final day of one and the separation between tour event winner and major winner is the ability to handle that pressure.

Emotional

The final word this week is from Portugal and an emotional second European Tour victory for Steve Webster.

For me, this is the victory of the season. It is not too often that I shed a tear when somebody wins and I shed a tear for Steve.

It was the most wonderful sight to see him and his father embrace on the 18th green in Spain. For Steve it is so long overdue, he is one of the most gifted men on the European Tour and perhaps it would be fair to say he is an underachiever to this point but I somehow feel we won't see him underachieve again.

The manner of the victory was unbelievable and I have never seen Stevie in a better place, focus-wise. He looked calm but focused and somehow you felt there was a greater force driving Stevie on Sunday.