SERGIO GARCIA LEADS BY TWO AT THE BARCLAYS
By JAMES CORRIGAN
Who needs a professional caddie? Sergio Garcia was daring golf to ask that blasphemous question after grabbing a two-shot lead at the Barclays and so setting up his second win in as many weeks after using an amateur as a bagman.
Last week at the Wyndham Championship, Garcia employed a club caddie and duly
won his first American event in four years.
This week, he has handed his clubs to a friend, Wayne Richardson, who normally
walks the course as a spotter for a US network.
DOING HIS OWN THING
DOING HIS OWN THING
Garcia has pledged to use a recognised caddie for the Ryder Cup, although now
he must be in two minds.
Doing his own yardages, his own reads, proving his own counsel, Garcia has
excelled, his third-round 69 taking him to 10-under and clear of Nick
Watney, the other joint-leader at halfway.
In truth, it is his putting which is to thank for this Sergio resurgence.
What an asset he will be for Jose Maria Olazabal next month at Medinah. But
then, a fired-up and firing Garcia would grace any Ryder Cup team in
history.
Certainly nobody can deny Garcia’s commitment to the cause. After all, the
Spaniard has diminished his chances of winning $10m (£6.3m) in order to be
in peak form next for Chicago.
Before going out here, Garcia his explained his reasons for skipping next week’s Deutsche Bank Championship, the second event in the FedEx Cup play-off series.
It would have made miserable reading for his accountant – but would have been so pleasurable to Olazabal.
“Having to play six weeks in a row and then one week off and then the Tour Championship and the Ryder Cup is just too much,” said Garcia.
RYDER CUP IMPORTANCE
“Everybody knows how important the Ryder Cup is for me, and I want to be fully fit there. I want to be feeling strong so I can help my team.”
A win today would take him into first place in the FedEx standings and put the massive winning bonus squarely in his sights.
And although he would be sure of qualifying for the Tour Championship, which takes place in Atlanta the week before the Ryder Cup in Chicago, he will inevitably concede ground to some of his rivals who intend to play four – including Tiger Woods.
The 14-time major-winner was plagued by attack of the three-putts – four in all.
Those blunders were complicit in restricting him to a 72 and on four-under, he is six behind. “I can’t believe how slippery those greens were,” he said.
“The putter was even slipping when you put it on the ground.” Woods did, though, have good news for Davis Love, the US Ryder Cup captain, when revealing that the bad back which caused such pain on Friday had eased.
Woods put the complaint down to a soft hotel bed and, so, on Friday slept on the floor. “It isn’t a problem any more,” he said.
Alongside Woods is Lee Westwood, after an encouraging 68, while Rory McIlroy and Luke Donald, the world Nos 1 and 2, are on two-under after a pair of 69s.
Before going out here, Garcia his explained his reasons for skipping next week’s Deutsche Bank Championship, the second event in the FedEx Cup play-off series.
It would have made miserable reading for his accountant – but would have been so pleasurable to Olazabal.
“Having to play six weeks in a row and then one week off and then the Tour Championship and the Ryder Cup is just too much,” said Garcia.
RYDER CUP IMPORTANCE
“Everybody knows how important the Ryder Cup is for me, and I want to be fully fit there. I want to be feeling strong so I can help my team.”
A win today would take him into first place in the FedEx standings and put the massive winning bonus squarely in his sights.
And although he would be sure of qualifying for the Tour Championship, which takes place in Atlanta the week before the Ryder Cup in Chicago, he will inevitably concede ground to some of his rivals who intend to play four – including Tiger Woods.
The 14-time major-winner was plagued by attack of the three-putts – four in all.
Those blunders were complicit in restricting him to a 72 and on four-under, he is six behind. “I can’t believe how slippery those greens were,” he said.
“The putter was even slipping when you put it on the ground.” Woods did, though, have good news for Davis Love, the US Ryder Cup captain, when revealing that the bad back which caused such pain on Friday had eased.
Woods put the complaint down to a soft hotel bed and, so, on Friday slept on the floor. “It isn’t a problem any more,” he said.
Alongside Woods is Lee Westwood, after an encouraging 68, while Rory McIlroy and Luke Donald, the world Nos 1 and 2, are on two-under after a pair of 69s.
LEADERBOARD
Par 213 (3x71)
Players from US unless stated
203 Sergio Garcia (Spain) 66 68 69
205 Nick Watney 65 69 71
206 Kevin Stadler 72 69 65
207 Brandt Snedeker 70 69 68, Bob Estes 69 66 72
SELECTED SCORES
209 Phil Mickelson 68 74 67, Lee Westwood (England) 69 72 68, Tiger Woods 68 69 72 (T10)
211 Rory McIlroy 69 73 69, Luke Donald 68 74 69 (T22)
213 Greg Owen (England) 68 73 72 (T32)
214 Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 64 75 75, Gary Christian (England) 66 71 77 (T43)
215 Ian Poulter (England)(68 71 76, Martin Laird (Scotland) 70 68 77 (T53)
218 Justin Rose (England) 67 72 79 (T69)
MISSED THE CUT (143 and better qualified)
144 Jim Furyk 71 73, Keegan Bradley 71 73
146 Graeme McDowell (N Ireland) 75 71
148 Brian Davis (England) 72 76
TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES
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TO READ THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
SUMMARY OF SATURDAY'S PLAY
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Labels: US PGA TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Sunday, August 26, 2012
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