The Kid, or "El Nino" as his own call him, still has that spark of life that sets him apart. Although just 24 years old, and the youngest player in this Ryder Cup, Sergio Garcia has that glint in his eyes of a matador staring down a prized bull. It's not surprising.
He has experienced the highs and lows of mano-a- mano golf, where players go head to head in the white heat of battle, and mostly he has proven to be a most compatible partner for whoever has been paired with him.
In his two previous Ryder Cups, Garcia has been a rock; ironically, the only weakness was exposed when he was left to fend for himself. While he has a flawless record of four wins from four in foursomes, and just one defeat in four fourballs matches, the Spaniard has never won a singles. In 1999, exhausted, he lost to Jim Furyk by 4 and 3; then, in 2002, he went down by one hole to David Toms.
Yesterday, though, Garcia was philosophical and by no means egotistical about his own singles expectations here at Oakland Hills.
"You know, I'm trying to win as many points as I can for my team. I'd rather lose my singles match and win the Ryder Cup than win it and lose the Ryder Cup. Don't get me wrong, I'm trying to get as many points for my European team as I can, but it's really not that important for me to win my singles as it is just making sure that the team wins."
Indeed, you get the impression that a singles joust with Tiger Woods would be the thing that would really get his juices flowing.
"I've always felt that playing against really good players makes me try that bit harder. It kind of raises my game a little bit, so it will definitely be good (to play Woods). But, you know, he's not the only good player on that team. Any guy, any American, you play against this week is going to be tough to beat."
Garcia's season hasn't been awe inspiring, at least in the majors, but it has been good. Two wins on the US Tour - the first in the Byron Nelson, the next in the Buick Classic where he fended off Padraig Harrington and Rory Sabbatini to win a play-off - have fattened his bank balance (he's won over $2.8 million in prize-money) and helped move him from 36th in the world rankings at the start of the year up to 12th, and within touching distance of a place in the top-10.
"He has an old head on a young body, one of the most talented players that plays golf," observed Bernhard Langer of Garcia.
When he was told of this remark, Garcia grinned and quipped: "I hope he doesn't mean I have a young body but an old face. No, I think it's wonderful he should say something like that about me. Bernhard's been doing a great job, trying to get the team together."
This time round, however, Garcia is without the inspiration of Jesper Parnevik with whom he claimed three and a half points from their four matches - two fourballs and two foursomes - in Brookline, although he also bonded superbly well with Lee Westwood at The Belfry where they took three points from four, only losing to Davis Love and Tiger Woods in the Saturday afternoon fourballs.
Who he will play with come the start of competition tomorrow appears to be edging towards either Luke Donald, with whom he played yesterday in practice, or Lee Westwood, his old Belfry buddy.
"I feel like I get along with everybody," he said.
Whatever happens, Garcia intends to be outgoing and, as he has done with Parnevik and Westwood in past matches, do some fist-pumping and high-fives if the occasion demands it. "Maybe some of the guys feel they can't play their best by reacting that way . . . (and) I think the Ryder Cup is huge the way it is. But it could be better if everybody was a bit more outgoing."
You can rest assured that Garcia won't be any shrinking violet over the next three days. If Europe are to go into the lion's den and retain the trophy, you can be guaranteed that Garcia will be in the thick of the action.
