Eleven years ago, a 21-year-old Sergio Garcia was taking the PGA Tour by storm, capturing his first win at Colonial less than two years after nearly taking down Tiger Woods at the 1999 PGA Championship. Remember "El Nino"? That affable, fiery Spanish bundle of energy? I do -- and I miss him.

I remember trying to emulate not Woods but Garcia soon after that epic duel. And why not? Garcia was a fearless kid who hit his own stinging irons and who always seemed to have fun on the course. Now, he's just a guy who makes playing golf for a lot of money on exquisite courses around the world look like a chore.

Sergio never seems happy these days. (Photo by Getty Images)

While still a world-class golfer, Garcia is still trying to live up to his promise -- and it doesn't look promising that he will. As the man with a Ben Hogan-like swing returns to Hogan's home event more than a decade later, the only charge he's leading is that of the naysayers who don't think he has what it takes to win one of golf's biggest events.

"I've been trying for 13 years and I don't feel capable of winning (a major)," Garcia was quoted by Spanish-language media following a third round at the Masters that dropped him out of contention. "I don't know what happened to me. Maybe it's something psychological."

FORT WORTH, Texas -- The first time I covered the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial was in 1997 when it was known as the MasterCard Colonial, the best player in the world was Tiger Woods and I was the golf writer for The Associated Press. A lot has changed since then. For Tiger, the Colonial and me.

The story that week was that it would be the first time Woods and Fuzzy Zoeller crossed paths since Fuzzy made racially insensitive remarks following Tiger's 12-stroke victory in the Masters at the age of 21. Woods took a month off after that historic victory, then won the HP Byron Nelson, in which Zoeller didn't play, setting up Colonial.

Woods hits an approach shot at the 1997 MasterCard Colonial. (Getty Images)

"He's doing quite well, pretty impressive," Zoeller, known for his irreverent sense of humor, said Sunday evening after Woods' record-setting win at Augusta National. "That little boy is driving well and he's putting well," Fuzzy continued in remarks that aired several days later in a CNN report by the late Jim Huber.

"He's doing everything it takes to win," Zoeller said. "So, you know what you guys do when he gets in here? You pat him on the back and say congratulations and enjoy it and tell him not to serve fried chicken next year. Got it." Zoeller started to leave, then turned around and added: "Or collard greens or whatever the hell they serve."

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