Sergio Garcia has been struggling with his game these past few months for the oldest reason in the world: a broken heart.

Garcia, who was in Turnberry this week, confirmed that he'd split with Morgan-Leigh Norman, Greg Norman's daughter, in mid-March, which is when his game started to go into a tailspin. Once a threat to overtake the injured Tiger Woods as the World No. 1, Garcia now fights for the third spot with Paul Casey and Geoff Ogilvy, well below Woods and Phil Mickelson.

John Hopkins of The Times (UK) has the authoritative report on the breakup, including who dumped whom. (Morgan initiated the breakup).

Speaking at Turnberry, where the Open will be held in July, [Garcia] said that it had been her decision to part. He gave a deep sigh as he described his discomfort on the golf course. “Myself, when I am not feeling happy on a golf course and not up for it, that is the way it is. You can’t do anything about it. I can’t do well. Obviously the break-up with Morgan didn’t help. You get over some things. Others take a little longer.

“It was her doing, not mine, and it happened the week of Miami. It is unfortunate, one of those things. Do I still think of her all the time? No. It is pretty much back in the past now.”

Garcia, who gets criticized for his sometimes ill-advised comments and immature behavior, spoke about a painful time in his life in a naked way you don't often hear at a media news conference.

García said at Turnberry that he had not seen Ms Norman since the end of their affair. “We are still friends but no, we haven’t spoken since then. We have not telephoned. Obviously, because of the situation I would rather not talk to her, because when you are trying to get over a relationship it is difficult. But I don’t have a feeling of hate against her.”

Asked whether being in the public eye made it harder to deal with his emotions, he replied: “No, I wasn’t sad because my relationship was public because everybody knew about it. I was sad because of my feelings. It is within me. It is in my heart. I am not thinking what other people are thinking about it. I am thinking what I am thinking about it. At the end of the day a relationship is still a relationship.”

Hopkins reports that Garcia appeared cheerful at Turnberry and said he was feeling happier. Why not? He's young, rich, handsome and has the world's best pickup line: Would you like to go for a ride in my plane?