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The amazing story behind golf star Sergio Garcia’s new caddy

Sergio Garcia practices before this week's Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

Sergio Garcia practices before this week's Omega Dubai Desert Classic. Photo: Getty

Ask and you shall receive. That is, if you are prepared to ask for 206 days … in a row.

Mark Johnson, a 40-year-old golf fan from England, particularly enjoys the game of Spanish star Sergio Garcia.

Garcia, regarded as one of the sport’s best players never to win a major title, is the world No.15 and has amassed close to $US44 million in prize money.

Johnson had a long-held dream to caddy for Garcia and started sending him daily tweets that included the hashtag “#letmecaddieforyou”.

That dream will now finally be realised after Garcia agreed to let Johnson carry his clubs for him at the pro-am ahead of the British Masters in September.

“I noticed him the first time [July 9, 2016] from the first tweet he posted at me,” Garcia revealed prior to this week’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

“I thought it was quite funny and it was very sincere, and obviously I was wondering how long it was going to keep going.”

Johnson kept mixing his tweets up, injecting humour and including snippets of his personal life along the way.

In the process, he revealed his favourite meal (chicken pasta bake), spoke about his family and posted selfies of him watching Garcia play.

Garcia began to wait for the daily message and said he spoke with his wife Angela about whether he could make the wish happen.

“Angela and I, we kind of talked about it, and I said, ‘well, you know, how long should we make him wait?’,” he said.

“And we decided that probably 200 days; if he held on for 200 days, it would probably, it would make the cut.”

After 205 days, Johnson could have been forgiven for giving up on what would seem, to the average fan, a pipe dream.

Especially given that he never once received a response from Garcia.

But on day 206, Garcia decided enough was enough, taking to Twitter to post this.

Naturally, Johnson was delighted when he saw the message.

“As long as it’s not today I’m ready bud!” he posted, later adding: “Still can’t believe I’m going to walk round a golf corse [sic] with the legend Sergio Garcia!”

“Not sure how I’m going to get to sleep tonight #Buzzing.

Sergio Garcia

Sergio Garcia was impressed by Mark Johnson’s persistence. Photo: Getty

“I guess there will be no more daily tweets … many thankyou’s @TheSergioGarcia for making my dream come true I am feeling very lucky!

“Looks like I made the cut on 200 days was prepared to go to 500 Top man @TheSergioGarcia you saved me 294 days! All the best this week bud!”

Garcia said he was looking forward to meeting Johnson and having him on his bag.

“I think that he showed a lot of perseverance and a lot of strength and energy and stuff throughout it,” he added.

“Some of the tweets he posted at us, or at me, were quite funny.

“I’m sure it will be a great experience for him, and you know, also for us.

“[I will] get to know one of the fans and it should be good fun.”

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