Losing the 2008 PGA championship to Padraig Harrington won't hurt as much as losing the 2007 British Open at Carnoustie for Sergio Garcia. After all, Sergio didn't watch one of his putts lip out on the final hole that would have won the tournament. He played his heart out, but it still has to hurt.

Sergio did a fantastic job of using his driver to hit knockdown shots below the blustering winds at Oakland Hills on Sunday. It's a tricky shot, but when you've got some of the best hands in the game, it can useful.

The golf ball Garcia uses helped him pull it off. While most amateur golfers would be better served by a ball with a lot of spin, which helps maximize hang time and distance off the tee, Garcia uses the TaylorMade Red LDP. The LPD stands for Low-Drag Performance, and according to TaylorMade, it is especially good in windy conditions. By playing the ball back in his stance, and limiting his follow-through, Garcia was able to produce a lower trajectory on tee shots.

Garcia is a feel player, and his clubs are old-school. While more and more players are migrating to cavity-backed irons, Garcia is still swinging blades. And here's a little tidbit the guys in the TaylorMade van have told me: Sergio grinds his own wedges. That means he literally shapes the bounce to his liking using a sanding wheel. Talk about taking equipment matters into your own hands!

Here's a list of the clubs Sergio used at Oakland Hills during the 2008 PGA championship:

Driver                  TaylorMade Tour Burner TP (9°)
Fairway woods     TaylorMade Burner TP (14.5°), r7 TP (17.5°)
Irons                    rac MB (3-PW)
Wedges               rac Satin TP (54°, 58°)
Putter                  Titleist by Scotty Cameron Newport 2
Ball                      TaylorMade TP Red LDP

(Photo by Fred Vuich/SI)

Statistically speaking, Sergio Garcia did not putt especially well at TPC Sawgrass last week, and he missed a short birdie putt in the playoff against Paul Goydos. But his circa-2000 Scotty Cameron Newport 2 putter will be in the bag for a while. You just don't kiss a putter after winning the Players Championship and $1.71 million and then go look for a new one.

Don't look for any changes in his woods or irons either. In swirling winds, Garcia ranked first in both fairways hit and greens in regulation for the week.

El Nino has been one of TaylorMade's marquee players for years. According to the company, this is what the Spaniard had in his bag at the Players:

Driver TaylorMade Tour Burner TP (9˚)
Fairway Woods TaylorMade Burner TP (14.5˚) and r7 TP (17.5˚)
Irons rac MB TP (3-PW)
Wedges rac Z TP (54˚ and 58˚)
Putter Titleist by Scotty Cameron Newport 2
Ball TaylorMade Red LDP

Garcia's performance stats for the week (rank):
Average driving distance —  283 yards (41st)
Fairway percentage — 76.8% (1st)
Greens in regulation — 77.8% (1st)
Putts per round — 31 (tie for 69th)
Putts per green in regulation — 1.786% (tie for 39th)

(Photo: Andy Lyons/AP)