El Niño Hits Omega Flagship Store, Heads to Barclays

Sergio Garcia donates watch before competing in the FedEx Cup Playoffs

Naimah Jabali-Nash
photography by Ryan Kobane

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The red carpet was rolled out in front of the Omega Flagship store on Fifth Avenue this past Monday. A day after his nail biting finish at the Wyndham Championship (fourth, a season’s best) PGA Tour player, Sergio Garcia, flashed his boyish grin for photographers. All waited to see him place his personal Omega Mission Hills Double Eagle Chronograph Constellation watch into its respective case alongside fellow Omega Ambassadors Buzz Aldrin and Michael Phelps. At times the 29-year-old Spaniard looked as though he were modeling for the next issue of GQ. It was clear that he had mastered the art of press events flawlessly with each placement of his wrist. There was an approachable air about him, one not seen outside the ropes of any PGA Tour event. With 19 wins to his name, Garcia still holds the title of one of the best players without a major win. His best finish in a major came at this year’s US Open where he finished tied for 10th. But these numbers didn’t faze the children from The First Tee of Metropolitan New York. They were giddy for their chance to meet the seasoned vet, putting off an AstroTurf green and holding their finish with the Nintendo Wii remote (call me old-fashioned, but I don’t know how effective a golf lesson can be on a video game). With the season coming to a close, the first stop on the FedEx Cup Playoffs is across the Hudson at The Barclays. “I look forward to playing in New Jersey,” said Garcia. “I heard the views are spectacular. I’m excited to see the course.” Sergio Garcia is resilient. Fairing an unfavorable season, public heartbreak and the inaudible foot tapping of critics anxiously awaiting his first major win, it’s true. We want it as much for him as he wants it for himself (or so we think) as we did for Mickelson. But it takes time. Patience is something that every golfer must learn to attain. And after he sat with The Green it was evident that nothing can stop the path of El Niño.