Taller Garcia tees-up defence

Sergio Garcia launches the defence of his German Masters title here today at Gut Larchenhof a bigger man both physically and psychologically.

The 20-year-old Spaniard claims he grew at least two centimetres after being laid low by 'flu during last month's US PGA Championship.

"It's a well-known fact that every time you have a fever, you grow some. Ever since I was 14 or 15 I've measured myself after two or three days in bed and discovered I've stretched a little," he says.

Garcia's shedding of his psychological puppy fat, however, is more significant and his confrontations with Tiger Woods, with whom he is frequently compared, have been crucial. "Beating him in the Battle of the Bighorn (a made-for-TV match that netted Garcia £700,000) helped me a lot," he says.

"Some guys don't like playing with Tiger; they feel uncomfortable and nervous. I like it because he's a great guy and very friendly and because, if I play well and beat him, it boosts my confidence.

"I've been playing and putting better and I feel I could have won the Canadian Open if I'd driven the ball better on the first three days."

Garcia, runner-up to Woods in last year's US PGA Championship, when his exuberant hop-skip-and-jump routine after extricating his ball from tree roots endeared him to millions, is rapidly maturing.

Comparisons with Lee Westwood, who relieved Colin Montgomerie of his top European tag by reaching number four in the world rankings after his fifth European victory of the year on Sunday, are tempting.

Westwood plotted his Belgian Open coup with the coolness, even arrogance, of a man who truly believed he was going to win because he was swinging better than anyone else.

His coach Peter Cowen, Woods's coach Butch Harmon and Lee's father - and sternest critic - all endorsed his view, Westwood revealed in Cologne yesterday.

Garcia's confidence is similarly sky-high: "I've played very well the last three tournaments and feel I could have won any of them.

"My game is a lot better than it was when I won here last year and nine of my last 10 scores have been in the 60s since I switched to putting cross-handed. I am getting to the same level as Tiger with the putter."

A sixth Tour triumph for Westwood to equal the record of Montgomerie, Seve Ballesteros and Nick Faldo (all in this field) will increase his £52,437 lead to more than £324,000 over Darren Clarke, who is absent as his wife gave birth yesterday to their second child.

"I feel I've got everything under control and every aspect of my game is good and my confidence is improving all the time," he says ominously.

"It's nice to be ranked the best player in Europe and I don't think anybody could question it at this moment."

Meanwhile, the Women's British Open will become one of the four designated majors in women's golf next year. A vacancy arose when the Du Maurier Classic, a victim of Canada's ban on tobacco sponsorship, was staged for the last time in August.

"We have chosen the Women's British Open because it met all the guidelines we were looking for in a major," said Ty Votaw, commissioner of the LPGA.