It's Official: U.S. Golfers Hate Sergio Garcia

I suppose a lot of this has to to with the biennial Ryder Cup ass-kicking the Europeans put on the United States, but, whatever, if you've caught even a glimpse of the action over the last 11 years, this will hardly seem surprising.

Golf Digest polled a slew of current and former U.S. Ryder Cup players and captains and, well, this sounds about right:

Which word best describes Sergio Garcia during the Ryder Cup?

a) Insufferable: 40%
b) Unbeatable: 25%
c) Both of the above: 35%

Thing is, I'd take issue with b) and c) if we weren't talking about the Ryder Cup (a) always applies, however), but Garcia is damn-near unbeatable when it comes to the alternate shot and best ball format (his 14-3-3 record is mind-boggling, particularly when compared to Eldrick's 7-11-2 showing). That doesn't make him any less of a pain in the ass, though, or, as one anonymous U.S. Ryder Cupper put it:

"He's like a gnat that just swarms around your head. Irritating." . . . "The other guys, from what I've heard, don't really like Sergio that much -- but they love him during the Ryder Cup." . . . "He acts like a 6-year-old."

Six-year-olds everywhere feel slighted.

To Garcia's credit, he seems to have matured this year. After blaming everybody else for his 2007 British Open meltdown, he was funny and modest at this year's Players Championship. It's not much, but it's a start. Of course, as soon as he starts dancing on the green after draining an improbably long putt to win a hole, I'm sure I'll go right back to hating him. Until then, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.