Sean,
Yes you make a very good point in that respect. There is no doubt Sergio was hailed as the Tiger beater, and it never panned out.
Even to this day its disheartening to see a guy who plays so well from Tee to green but just hasn't learned to master the flat stick.
The weird part is that back when Sergio came on tour, he putted great but didn't hit the ball well. IIRC he was around 4th on tour in putting in his first few years, but only hit low to mid-60% GIR.
He has pulled a complete 180. Now he putts awful and hits it great. Wonder why?
It's mental. You choose the greats by mental toughness. There are a lot of highly skilled players out there that don't win the big ones much, because they lack the mental toughness to do it.
That is why I pick Graeme McD for more majors over Kaymer, Shwartzel, and Oostwhatever.
Forget skills. Michelle Wie may be the most gifted female player, but the exercise she put herself through shot what mental toughness she may have had. This is why right now Ms. Tseng is headed to be the next Annika.
The breakdown of Tiger's putting is mostly mental after what he has been through.
Sergio likewise.
It's why Padraig has more majors than Sergio. It's why Lefty has fewer than he should.
Some people don't come fully pre-equiped with the mental toughness, but acquire it through experience. That is how Tom Watson did it. That is what may give Michelle Wie a bright future. That appears to me to be the road Rory is on.