“I thought I had it on 18,” said Sergio Garcia.

Now, though, he could smile about it. Many times before - every time, in fact - such a qualifier would have come sodden in disappointment. Garcia was golf’s great hope who became golf’s great nearly man.

But not this time, for the drought was over. A new label is now needed.

“Because of where my head was at, sometimes I did think about whether I am ever going to win one,” Garcia admitted, the indelible smile still etched on his face.

The final round of the Masters — in pictures Show all 33 1 /33 The final round of the Masters — in pictures The final round of the Masters — in pictures The final round of the Masters Sergio Garcia of Spain celebrates with the green jacket after he wins in a playoff during the final round of the 2017 Masters. Getty Images The final round of the Masters — in pictures The final round of the Masters Garcia embraces his fiancee Angela Akins in celebration. Getty Images The final round of the Masters — in pictures The final round of the Masters Garcia held his nerve to beat Justin Rose in a play-off. Getty Images The final round of the Masters — in pictures The final round of the Masters The Spaniard roars in triumph after winning the play-off. Getty Images The final round of the Masters — in pictures The final round of the Masters This is Garcia's first major championship success. Getty Images The final round of the Masters — in pictures The final round of the Masters Garcia turns to the patrons after his stunning victory. Getty Images The final round of the Masters — in pictures The final round of the Masters Angela Akins runs to embrace her fiancee. Getty Images The final round of the Masters — in pictures The final round of the Masters Rose came within one hole of winning his second Major title. Getty Images The final round of the Masters — in pictures The final round of the Masters Rose congratulates his rival after losing the play-off hole. Getty Images The final round of the Masters — in pictures The final round of the Masters Rose of England lines up his putt on the 17th hole. Getty Images The final round of the Masters — in pictures The final round of the Masters The final round of the 2017 Masters proved to be as exciting and tense as ever, as Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose went head to head at the top of the leaderboard. Getty The final round of the Masters — in pictures The final round of the Masters The rivals find time to share a joke on the seventh green. Getty The final round of the Masters — in pictures The final round of the Masters Jordan Spieth of the United States walks across the Sarazen Bridge. Getty The final round of the Masters — in pictures The final round of the Masters Charley Hoffman lining up a putt on the 18th hole. Getty The final round of the Masters — in pictures The final round of the Masters Fred Couples of the United States reacts to a birdie. Getty The final round of the Masters — in pictures The final round of the Masters Matt Kuchar plays a shot on the 13th hole. Getty The final round of the Masters — in pictures The final round of the Masters Bernd Wiesberger of Austria plays his shot from the famous 18th tee. Getty The final round of the Masters — in pictures The final round of the Masters Rory McIlroy and JP Fitzgerald stand on the second green. Getty The final round of the Masters — in pictures The final round of the Masters Matt Kuchar celebrates making birdie on the second hole. Getty The final round of the Masters — in pictures The final round of the Masters Sergio Garcia plays his shot from the first tee. Getty The final round of the Masters — in pictures The final round of the Masters Jordan Spieth plays his second shot from a bunker on the second hole. Getty The final round of the Masters — in pictures The final round of the Masters Sergio Garcia also playing a shot from the bunker. Getty on during the final round of the 2017 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 9, The final round of the Masters — in pictures The final round of the Masters Charley Hoffman plays his shot from the second tee. Getty The final round of the Masters — in pictures The final round of the Masters Charley Hoffman and caddie Brett Waldman walk the seventh fairway Getty The final round of the Masters — in pictures The final round of the Masters Jordan Spieth walks off the third green. Getty The final round of the Masters — in pictures The final round of the Masters Charl Schwartzel of South Africa plays his second shot on the first hole. Getty The final round of the Masters — in pictures The final round of the Masters Jordan Spieth putts on the third green during the final round. Getty The final round of the Masters — in pictures The final round of the Masters Lee Westwood talks with caddie Billy Foster on the seventh hole. Getty The final round of the Masters — in pictures The final round of the Masters Charl Schwartzel plays a shot from a bunker on the seventh hole. Getty The final round of the Masters — in pictures The final round of the Masters Charley Hoffman, who was top of the leaderboard for much of the tournament, lines up his putt. Getty The final round of the Masters — in pictures The final round of the Masters Rickie Fowler walks across the third green. Getty The final round of the Masters — in pictures The final round of the Masters Justin Rose of England reacts to a birdie on the seventh hole. Getty The final round of the Masters — in pictures The final round of the Masters Sergio Garcia plays a shot from a bunker on the seventh hole. Getty

“I've had so many good chances and either I lost them or someone has done something extraordinary to beat me.“

This time it was he who beat out a rival at the death. Battling with Justin Rose after whistling a short putt past the hole on 18, it was all set up for the usual disappointment, the now familiar anguish and a return to the dark depths of the soul reserved for second place.

In 2012, Garcia had admitted he might never win a major after he disappeared from contention at Augusta.

That was more than 25 years after he’d first made his mark, becoming the youngest player to win the European Amateur in 1995. He was a tour professional by ’99 and, in the same year, won his first European Tour event. The teenage prodigy had only success in front of him, not just majors but, surely, a Grand Slam was not out of the question.

But in August of that year was the first hint we would see of Sergio the nearly man. A memorable cut-and-thrust final-round duel with Tiger Woods at the USPGA Championships where two of golf’s young saviours would do battle but Woods emerged victorious. It was a first step on the runners-up podium for Sergio, a place that would become a familiar home for his last-gasp agony.

Then there was the 2002 US Open, when Tiger would again keep him at arm’s length, or the 2006 Open at Royal Liverpool, where Garcia and Woods played in the final group but the American held on again for victory. By the time he returned to major contention in 2014, Woods was gone. A new superstar, however, had emerged, and Rory McIlroy would win out as Sergio melted.

At Carnoustie in 2007 was the most agonising Sergio Garcia moment, with the Spaniard even having a putt for the title but lipping out on the final hole to end up in a play-off with Padraig Harrington. It was the memory that must have been coursing through his mind after that miss on the 18th in Augusta - “I thought I had it.”

This time, he would not be denied. The golfer with the most major starts before a first win, eclipsing Tom Kite in 2016, was finally shedding his nearly man tag and that made it even more special.

“It's been a long wait but it's that much sweeter because of that wait,” Garcia said after being presented with his green jacket by 2016 champion Danny Willett.

“Lately I've been getting some good help and I've been thinking a little bit different, a little bit more positive. And kind of accepting, too, that if it for whatever reason it didn't happen, my life is still going to go on. It's not going to be a disaster.“