By Jim Litke

updated 5:59 p.m. ET July 22, 2007

Jim Litke

CARNOUSTIE, Scotland - Sergio Garcia didn’t cry this time, at least not where anyone could see.

Maybe he expected the rest of us to do that for him.

Garcia left Carnoustie in tears in 1999 after missing the cut. But the same course that was cruel to a 19-year-old playing his first British Open as a pro somehow was crueler still to a 27-year-old who has yet to fulfill that enormous promise.

Three times in the last four holes of regulation, and three times in the playoff against Padraig Harrington, Garcia’s putts caught the edge of the cup and spun away. Had even one dropped, a major championship finally would have been his.

Instead, just days after the greatest of his countrymen, Seve Ballesteros, announced his retirement, the young Spaniard who was supposed to step into his shoes skidded to 0-for-33 in golf’s biggest events.

“You know what’s the saddest thing about it?” Garcia said afterward. “It’s not the first time. It’s not the first time, unfortunately. So, I don’t know, I’m playing against a lot of guys out there, more than the field.”

Whoever and whatever he was referring to, only Garcia knew. But he’s right about it not being the first time. In the past, he’s blamed losses on his shoes and one of Europe’s most respected rules officials.

Still, he started the day three shots clear of the field, bumped it to four at one point and then fell two behind. Even so, he arrived at the 18th in regulation leading by a stroke, needing a par to win and made bogey.

Garcia said a 15-minute delay waiting to hit a 3-iron into that well-guarded green “doesn’t help.” In truth, the wait was no more than five minutes. Harrington, playing two groups ahead, created a backup by dumping his tee shot and an approach into the Barry Burn on the last hole of regulation. Yet he still made one of the best double-bogeys you’ll ever see.

136th British Open Harrington beats Garcia in playoff Celizic: British Open was a bloody good time Opinion: Sergio needs more class, not talent Opinion: Carnoustie cruel to Garcia once again Opinion: Carnoustie's 18th is menace again Tiger fades into background at Carnoustie Romero pulls a Van de Velde one hole early   Slide show: Top images from Carnoustie Expert: Van de Velde revisited  | New worries Hole-by-hole breakdown   |  Coverage

Then the Irishman put that mishap behind him. He made birdie at the first playoff hole, followed by two pars and a bogey that proved good enough to win when Garcia’s birdie try hit the edge of the cup on the fourth playoff hole and danced away.

“The one thing, I never, ever had it in my head is that I’d lost,” Harrington said. “Now, if Sergio parred the last and I did lose, I think I would have struggled to come back out and be a competitive golfer. It meant that much to me. ...

“He did hit a lovely putt. I’m sure he’s going to look back on that and — I thought he holed it. But as I said, in my head, going out into that playoff, there was a little bit of, ’I’ve got a second chance.’ I didn’t have a down after the round, which I think was very important,” he added. “I kept myself very level all the way through.”

Slide show   Week in Sports Pictures Dogs on the ski slopes, motorcycles in the harbor and more madness from the sports world. more photos

Garcia appeared to do the same, but in the interview room later, he offered a companion edition to the textbook Harrington had written across this wind-swept links.

“I don’t know, I should write a book on how to not miss a shot in the playoff and shoot 1-over,” Garcia said. “It’s the way it is. I guess it’s not news in my life.”

He garnered his only laugh of the afternoon moments later when someone asked whether he had ever missed so many big putts by such small margins.

“Obviously you haven’t been watching me much,” he replied. “You only watch the guys that make the putts and get the good breaks and things like that.”

MORE FROM GOLF

Golf Section Front

Daly struggles to find his putting stroke Choi wins at Skins Game, takes home $415,000 Tiger's split with GM an ad warning for athletes Latest golf videos Special section: Golf on NBC Tracking Tiger: News, features and more Tracking Ochoa: News, features and more Tracking Annika: News, features and more Vote: Is Sorenstam greatest woman golfer ever? FirstPerson: Quality time on the golf course Golf Section Front   Add Golf headlines to your news reader: