At a place where confidence defines contenders, Sergio Garcia arrived sounding anything but certain. The former champion at Augusta National Golf Club is not trying to build momentum with bold claims ahead of the 2026 Masters. Instead, he’s being honest about getting from the champion to survival mode.

Considering the test Augusta poses, several players have already arrived at the venue, in hopes of getting some practice in. And Garcia is one of them. While he was trying to reacquaint himself with the layout, his rhythm appeared a bit off. So, when asked about his form, García responded candidly, as seen in a clip shared by Flushing It Golf.

“Not super happy at the moment, but we’re working, and we’ll see. We’ll see what happens throughout the week. Yeah, at the moment I’m not feeling amazing,” the Spaniard said, after his solo stroll on the front nine at the Augusta National Golf Club on Monday, as he made his way across the rolling fairways and tall pine trees.

His comments further suggested he knows the conversations around his name are no longer the same as they were a decade ago. However, trying to hunt for a silver lining, Garcia mentioned how the course seems firm and fast with the clouds overhead largely clear. He then went searching for good memories from the past that he could use in the coming few days.

“There’s obviously good and bad, I guess. But fortunately there’s some really good moments here. You try to think a little bit of some of those that you’ve lived in the past, and hopefully you get more to build on.”

The LIV golfer is a Masters champion. He won the major in 2017 by defeating Justin Rose in a dramatic playoff. After the end of regulation rounds, they both were tied at the top of the leaderboard with a 9-under 279, triggering a playoff. This year, he is back for his 27th start at the event. And the 46-year-old is eligible to play the 90th edition of the tournament because of his exemption through the 2017 win.

While his past performances reflect glory, his current situation is something else. Since then, he has had 7 other starts in the Masters but missed the cut in 6 of them. The only time he made the cut in these 7 times was in 2022, when he finished T23. Before this, he had 19 starts in the Masters and made the cut in 14 of them. He has also managed only one top-10 finish across five LIV Golf appearances this year. The numbers show a striking difference between the control he once had and his current struggles. And he knows it all too well.

“Let’s see if I can make the cut. That would already be a very good week,” he admitted, as reported by Ten Golf.

He didn’t use any excuses. In fact, he was so blunt that he admitted he was unhappy with the way he was striking the ball. However, his confidence seems to be gone because he cannot see any way to change it. He said he could not find a fix right now. And if he could, he would have already fixed it.

After winning the 2017 Masters, there was a hunger in him to get more. Ahead of the 2025 Masters, Garcia even said he wanted to play so well at majors and on the DP World Tour that he could earn a spot in the 2025 Ryder Cup. But now, he is in a place where he was in the early 2010s.

Sergio Garcia admitted he was not good enough after the 2012 Masters

The Spaniard turned professional back in 1999. Over the years, he accumulated 16 DP World Tour titles and 11 PGA Tour victories. While these numbers reflect the amazing career he has built, Sergio Garcia once doubted himself.

Doubts began creeping up during the 2012 Masters. Before the fourth and last round, Garcia was already declaring that he had no chance to win that year’s coveted Green Jacket, or any future one either. Before that, the closest he got was a T2 at the 2007 Open Championship. However, he had a chance at the 2012 Masters. The Spaniard was in contention to win at the midway point. But that happiness didn’t last long, as he tumbled alongside Rory McIlroy.

“After 13 years, today was the day … I don’t have the capacity to win a major … It’s the reality. I’m not good enough and now I know it. I tried for 13 years, thinking I can win,” Sergio Garcia said after the 3rd round.

It is a sentiment that not many professionals publicly admit. His 2017 win gave him a boost, as he started to hope for more and win even more majors. However, that motivation and excitement seem to be vanishing, as Sergio Garcia once again finds himself in a tough spot going into the 2026 Masters.