General / Editor / 08 March 2007 / Leave a Comment

has revealed only the intervention of his father prevented him from quitting golf to take up professional football.

A dip in form caused by a problem with his swing throughout the 2003 season led to a frustrated Garcia - currently ranked 13th in the world - evaluating his future in the sport.

The Spaniard even deliberated over a switch in profession and a move into football but, after adjusting his swing with the help of his father, had a change of heart and decided to stick with golf.

"I got to a point where I thought about doing something else," said the 27-year-old. "That was at the end of 2002, going through to part of 2003.

"I was putting badly and my swing was starting to fall apart. I was losing control of the ball.
"I thought of going back to school, maybe even trying to play soccer professionally. I would have gone to a small team and tried, maybe left forward or midfield.

"I wasn't depressed, I was frustrated.

"But my parents, who are so supportive, grabbed me and said, 'What are you doing? Are you thinking about quitting?'
"For a while I did. After (playing in) Los Angeles and the Match Play in 2003 I was so bad I thought about taking three months off, maybe more.

"But my Dad took me aside and we started changing my swing. I tightened it up. It took a few months to feel comfortable.
"Towards the end of 2003 it felt like I was hitting it nicely. At the American Express in Atlanta, it really came together," he told an American golf magazine.

Garcia is participating in the PODS Championship at the Westin Innisbrook Resort in Tampa Bay, Florida, this week and is currently trading at 16 to win his 14th career title since turning professional in 1999.

Lat year's winner, KJ Choi, is available at 26 while 2005 winner, Carl Pettersson, can be backed at 65.

Vijay Singh, who finished runner-up in 2003 before going one better just 12 months later, is the favourite at 11.