This should have been the summer when Sergio Garcia established himself as a dominant star who deserved to be talked about as the next best player in the Tiger Woods’ era. Instead, it turned into the time when Garcia’s rep was forever cemented as being one of the worst gag artists in all of sports.

First, Garcia blew a PGA Championship he should have won by somehow finding the water on the 70th hole at Oakland Hills. Then, he coughed up the first FedEx Cup tournament by going into near spastic premature celebration in New Jersey, giving himself no chance in the playoff when Vijay Singh shocked him by hitting a putt bomb back. And it fittingly ended in the Tour Championship today with Garcia once again coming up small in a final round, shooting a 1-over 71 and allowing Camilo Villegas to win it with a par on a very birdieable first playoff hole.

You can also bet that Nick Faldo will not soon forget how easily Anthony Kim rolled over Garcia in the Ryder Cup either.

The truth is no one played better golf than Sergio Garcia this summer. No one struck the ball truer more consistently. And he has absolutely nothing but some more meaningless runner-up checks to show for it (unless you’re his accountant, than they’re plenty meaningful).

Coughing it up once in a big spot is to be expected in golf. You can even understand twice. But four times in one summer alone? There’s no denying that truth. And it’s fair to wonder if Garcia will ever recover and reach his true potential now.

It’s sad. Because in many ways, Sergio Garcia also showed why he is the most compelling figure in all of golf - including that dad on crutches - this summer too. There’s no more fascinating figure out there - and now he just looks like a pathetic foil.

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