Sergio García has the consolation of having won the so-called “fifth major” (The Players Championship) but he is still desperately keen to win a real major. Currently holding down a top-10 place in the world ranking, and twice second in US PGA Tour events this year, maybe his time has finally arrived.

A  lot of water has flowed under the bridge since 1999 when he featured on the covers of sports magazines around the world, having challenged none other than Tiger Woods for the US PGA Championship title. Just 19 years of age, Sergio was still known as the “Niño”. He lost that battle by one shot, and on three more occasions came just as agonisingly close to a first Grand Slam title, finishing second in the 2007 and 2014 British Open Championship and runner-up again in the 2008 US PGA. The highlights of his other 16 top-10 Grand Slam finishes include third place in the 2006 US PGA and 2005 US Open.

The golfing star from Borriol returned to the spotlight after his second place in The Players in May, during a season in which he has obtained three top-five places, also including second in the CIMB Classic and fourth in the Northern Trust Open.

In addition to joining the elite group of winners of majors, another of his objectives is to continue rising up the world ranking (at the end of May he was seventh).

In this global league, which marked its 1,000th week in April (since 1996), Sergio has been ranked in the top-10 for more than 380 weeks.

If we analyse the figures from the first time the Spanish star made it into the top-10 (on 16 January 2000), until May this year he has been among the world’s top-10 players for 386 of a total of 698 weeks: that is, nearly 55 per cent of his career, or one out of every two weeks.

Much has happened in 1,000 weeks of the world ranking – and these are the most important dates in Sergio’s long and rewarding career…

- 11 July 1999: entered the top-100 of the world ranking, and

has never been out of this classification.

- 15 August 1999: entered the top-50 for the first time, and

since then has only been lower for 50 weeks.

- 16 January 2000: entered the top-10 for the first time.

- 24 June 2001: made his debut in the top-5.

- 9 August 2008: reached second place for the first time, his

best ranking, remaining there for 18 weeks.

Sergio was at one stage in the top-10 (his best run to date) for 111 consecutive weeks.

To appreciate and understand better his evolution – currently 69 consecutive weeks in the top-10 – here we note what position he held after each 100-week period of the ranking.

- Week 100 (30 November 1997): 852nd

- Week 200 (31 October 1999): 14th

- Week 300 (7 October 2001): 6th

- Week 400 (7 September 2003): 17th

- Week 500 (7 August 2005): 6th

- Week 600 (15 July 2007): 7th

- Week 700 (14 June 2009): 4th

- Week 800 (15 May 2011): 73rd

- Week 900 (21 April 2013): 14th

- Week 1,000 (29 March 2015): 7th

 

After his eight victories on the US PGA Tour, 11 on the European circuit and four on the Asian, 35-year-old Sergio García will be hoping his great dream soon becomes a reality.