ESPN's Rick Reilly on Sergio Garcia's Demons

This piece by ESPN's Rick Reilly annoyed me on both tone and style points, so I fired off this sharply tongued missive to him:

Dear Mr. Reilly

Really, it's hard for me to figure out why Sergio Garcia's attitude is so interesting to you. He's a golfer; would it be so wrong to judge him by his play rather than dredging up quotes and actions from him going back more than a decade?

Garcia is 33 years of age and has no majors. Then again, Brandt Snedeker is 32, also with no majors, but 3 fewer PGA Tour wins than Garcia. Should we talk about Sned's sunny disposition or his game? In addition to Snedeker, have you ever compared Garcia's career to that of Ian Poulter? Poulter may be trending in the press, but his record doesn't compare.

Garcia finished the Masters at -3, just like Lee Westwood and Matt Kuchar. Has anyone checked their attitudes lately? It would seem not.

I've watched Garcia since the days of his win at the British Amateur and his run at the PGA Championship. Like you, I've wondered about his life away from golf. Also like you, I've not walked a step in his shoes, so I don't question what I don't know.

Why not? Because it would be like kicking a man whom I don't know. In the end, I was surprised of the mean-spirited feel to your piece. If Garcia has been hard on anyone, it's been himself. If he is man of great talent yet lacking commensurate confidence & joie de vivre, so what?

Why not just leave him to his demons?

But please, refrain from adding your own.