Is Sergio Garcia... Really Back?

Sergio Garcia after hitting a shot while standing in water during the 3rd round 

Has anyone else noticed what Sergio Garcia has done lately? If not, I'll let you know. First off, he's had quite a solid year on the PGA Tour, with 3 top 15s in the majors, which showed he arguably had the best season in terms of play in majors this year. This is after 2 rough, rough years in which reports indicated he might even quit golf altogether.

Now, rather than just putting in solid play all year whilst not winning, he's even returning to THAT winning form. I don't know if you heard, but he absolutely dominated at the Castello Masters last week, putting on a clinic for his hometown crowd while on cruise control to at 11 shot. I don't think I've ever seen him play that well, other than at The Players Championship in '08.

This week, El Nino has a chance to win yet again! He currently sits 2 ahead of everyone this week at the Andalucia Masters, with a nice 3rd round 67. This course has shown to be extremely tough, as he's only at 6 under par so far. He's vying for three things right now: back-to-back wins, a spot in next week's HSBC Champions, and the first Spaniard to win this event while held at the challenging Valderrama golf course.

If Sergio goes on to win this thing, then I believe people will start to definitely take notice that he's coming back stronger than ever. We all know that he's one of the most talented players in golf, and when he is confident, he's easily one of the best. Even if he weren't able to capture this title, it wouldn't be so bad. Because even then, we still have seen the best out of Sergio since 2008, where I believe he was the Player of the Year.

I really hope Sergio wins this event. When he's playing well, it's good for the game and tv ratings. His talent and polarizing figure bring more interest to the sport. If he can keep this amazing form up and take it to the PGA Tour next year, then we should be in for something special.

Photo via Getty Images