Sergio Garcia rewards persistent Twitter user by hiring him as caddie

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- A fan who asked Sergio Garcia via Twitter whether he could caddie for him has been rewarded for his perseverance.

Mark Johnson, a U.K. resident, started tweeting at Garcia in July, asking for the opportunity to work for his favorite golfer. Over the subsequent weeks and months, Johnson tried to come up with unique ways to get the Spanish golfer's attention.

Garcia finally relented, telling Johnson that he could caddie for him during the pro-am of the British Masters in September.

"I noticed him the first time from the first tweet he posted at me," Garcia said Tuesday at Emirates Golf Club, where he is playing in 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.

"Angela [Garcia's fiancée] and I, we kind of talked about it, and I said, 'Well, how long should we make him wait?' And we decided that probably 200 days, if he held it for 200 days, it would probably make the cut."

Johnson ended up tweeting 206 days before Garcia responded with his offer.

"He showed a lot of perseverance and a lot of strength and energy and stuff throughout it," Garcia said. "Some of the tweets he posted at me were quite funny. I'm sure it will be a great experience for him and also for us. Get to know one of the fans, and it should be good fun."

Garcia, 37, who is ranked 15th in the world, tied for 11th in his last start two weeks ago at the Singapore Open.