By Dave Shedloski
“Can you give me just one second, please? Angela needs to tell me something.”

Sergio Garcia agreed some weeks ago to make himself available for a teleconference to discuss his victory in the 2017 Masters, and on Tuesday morning he dutifully fulfilled his commitment. Before taking questions, however, he allowed his young bride to interrupt the proceedings.

Wait, what? You’re going to put Augusta National Golf Club and a national media contingent on hold? This better be good.

Oh. Well, yes, that is good.

Expecting the couple’s first child, a girl, Angela’s water broke Tuesday morning about 90 minutes before the teleconference. So, there was Sergio having to conduct the call from a hospital in Austin, Texas. More specifically, he was sitting in his wife’s room in the maternity ward.

“Yeah, it has been an eventful morning,” Garcia said with an air of calm. “It is kind of, I don’t know, surreal, I guess you may say. But she’s doing well, so it’s kind of very, very exciting and nerve‑wracking at the same time.”

Garcia now should be used to that feeling, especially after breaking through to win his first major championship nearly a year ago with his sudden-death playoff victory over Justin Rose. The Spaniard always sensed that winning a major title would be special, but the past year has been eye-opening, nevertheless.

“You don’t realize … I mean, you know how big the Masters is, but when you win it, you realize how much bigger it is all over the world,” El Nino said. “It’s definitely gotten where, yeah, people recognize me a little bit more all over the place outside of the golf course, and also, there’s more interest in me. It’s been a lot of fun.”

Though his daughter is arriving early, Garcia, 38, was late to the major-championship club, not breaking through until his 70th attempt as a professional. The long-awaited triumph has not, however, initiated a rebirth, if you will, in the world’s ninth-ranked golfer.

“They all [ask] me, has it changed your life? But I don’t think and I don’t feel like it has. I’m still doing the same things. I’m still the same guy,” he said. “I mean, you see me every week, and I don’t think I’ve changed in that aspect. But you know, I didn’t know what to expect. Obviously, it’s something that until it happens, you don’t know what it’s going to feel like and what it’s going to do to you. I’m happy that I don’t feel it has changed me. I don’t feel like I’m better than I was before or anything like that.”

Fatherhood will undoubtedly be a different story. Garcia will have to learn to juggle golf and family, perhaps starting as early as next week at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, which, fortunately, is being held at Austin Country Club. (Angela reportedly is exhorting her husband to play.) The whole family is expected to be at Augusta for Sergio’s title defence.

In his 70th professional start in a major, Sergio finally came out on top last April at Augusta. (Photo by JD Cuban)

The arrival of the newborn will come at an interesting time for Garcia, who has seen his game rounding into shape in recent weeks. In January, Garcia was a winner at the Singapore Open on the Asian Tour. After a T-33 finish at the Honda Classic last month, his first PGA Tour starts in 2018, Garcia posted a T-7 at the WGC-Mexico Championship and a solo fourth at the Valspar Championship, backed by a closing 65.

It’s a whole new world for a man who finally ascended to the top of the golf world last April. He has reached out to a few of his peers for advice on how to manage his time, energy and attention, though he seemed to have a good grasp of the situation already.

“A little bit here and there,” he said, “but I think at the end of the day, every child is different. Every child is a different world and every family is a different world. You’ve got to figure out what works for you and for your family. We’re going to start with… we’re going to get a nanny and we’re going to rent a house, so that way our family can still come to a lot of the tournaments that I’m playing so we can spend as much time together as we can.

“We’re just going to kind of evaluate as we go along. It’s brand new for both of us, so we are not sure what exactly to expect, and we’re just going to get the experience of being together with the baby and deal with it the best way possible for all of us.”

And what does he look forward to the most about fatherhood?

“We look forward to everything,” he responded. “Trying to raise a girl the best way possible. Try to make all the decisions as well as we can. At the end of the day, that’s all we can hope for. Hopefully, we have a great, healthy baby girl that grows up to be an amazing woman, and we don’t have to worry too much about her.”

Fortuitously, he embarks on this next stage of his life with one less worry about his career.

The post With baby on the way and a Masters title to defend, Sergio Garcia has a busy few weeks ahead appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Sergio Garcia had yet to tee off on Sunday at the 2017 Masters when his fiancee, Angela Akins, stood to the right of the fairway wearing a white hat with Garcia’s “S” logo on it. “I’m nervous, but I’m excited,” Akins said. “It’s going to be a great day.”

“It’s going to be a great day,” Akins’ mom, Pam, reaffirmed.

“A great day,” added Akins’ dad, Marty, also wearing a Team Sergio cap.

SEE ALSO:
Sergio Garcia is considering wearing his green jacket at his wedding

That kind of positivity had Garcia on the brink of his first major championship. And regardless of whether he wins on Sunday, it bodes well for him in golf’s biggest events.

“We’ve got a great group here this week,” said Akins, who also supplied Sergio with motivational quotes ranging from Audrey Hepburn to Buddha throughout the week. “A lot of positive energy.”

On Saturday evening, Garcia talked about the effect Angela, a former college golfer, and Marty, a former All-American quarterback at the University of Texas, have had on him.

“It definitely helps, there’s no doubt about the background that the whole family has. Marty is a very, very positive, very, you know, outspoken and very, very confident kind of guy, and it definitely helps when he’s encouraging you and things like that. Those things are nice to see,” Garcia said. “Angela is the same way. They are all very competitive. So you know, they are positive things to help out, for sure.”

Akins and Garcia got engaged on Jan. 6.

I can’t wait to marry my best friend and true love! Following my heart has led to the greatest blessing of my life! @thesergiogarcia

A post shared by Angela Akins (@theangelaakins) on Jan 6, 2017 at 8:23pm PST

Here’s a look back at some of their other memorable moments as a couple:

Happy New Year! Wishing you an incredible 2017! #HappyNewYear #cheers pic.twitter.com/DpwGKHUpoa

— Angela Garcia (@TheAngelaAkins) January 1, 2017

Playing golf:

It’s in the bag! No, seriously, what’s in this bag?! ? Haha I’d caddie for this guy any day! But geez that bag is heavy! I have a new appreciation for all of the caddies out there! ??‍ @thesergiogarcia #DellMatchPlay #AustinCountryClub #Austin

A post shared by Angela Akins (@theangelaakins) on Mar 18, 2017 at 8:46pm PDT

Hanging out on the beach:

? Credit: @muhaphotos

A post shared by Angela Akins (@theangelaakins) on Jan 29, 2017 at 12:00pm PST

Hanging out at the pool:

?

A post shared by Angela Akins (@theangelaakins) on Jul 9, 2016 at 7:18am PDT

Racing cars:

My man can drive! @thesergiogarcia @bmw #BMWChampionship #Indy

A post shared by Angela Akins (@theangelaakins) on Sep 6, 2016 at 1:59pm PDT

Touring NYC:

Carriage ride through Central Park with @thesergiogarcia! ? #NYC #NewYork

A post shared by Angela Akins (@theangelaakins) on Jul 20, 2016 at 2:45pm PDT

Celebrating a win in Dubai:

Amazing way to finish our week in Dubai! Congrats to my love! ?? @thesergiogarcia @omegagolfdubai #Dubai #ODDC #Omega

A post shared by Angela Akins (@theangelaakins) on Feb 5, 2017 at 7:42am PST

And singing in the car while going to taste wedding cakes:

Cake tasting today! ?Love this man and all the laughs we have together! @thesergiogarcia #weddingplanning

A post shared by Angela Akins (@theangelaakins) on Mar 10, 2017 at 7:14pm PST

The post How Sergio Garcia’s fiancee, Angela Akins, has helped his career appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.