Monday, January 7, 2002
[MERCEDES CHAMPIONSHIPS]
|
Garcia surges KAPALUA, Maui >> Sergio Garcia took another step toward closing the gap between himself and Tiger Woods on the world stage of golf.
in playoff
El Nino steadily made up for a poor
first round to win the Mercedes titleNotebook
By Paul Arnett
parnett@starbulletin.comEntering the Mercedes Championships, Garcia hinted that he was poised to not only take on the No. 1 player in the world, but anyone else on the PGA and European tours who tried to stop him.
After shooting a rather average 73 in excellent conditions on Thursday, it didn't appear last week's winners-only event would be the coming-out party for Garcia. But instead of just going through the motions the remaining 54 holes, Garcia quietly moved up the leaderboard in workmanlike fashion.
Beginning yesterday's round in a tie for sixth, Garcia fashioned a 64 to force a playoff with David Toms that he won on the first extra hole. The victory at the $4 million event not only meant $720,000 and a Mercedes for Garcia, but a new world ranking that could put him in the top five when it's released today.
|
"I'm leading the money list right now," Garcia said, then laughed after winning his third tour event and fifth overall in the past 12 months. He became the first golfer since Woods to win the Mercedes in his first appearance. "At least I can say that. When I get old -- I talk to my nephews and all that stuff -- I can say, 'Well, I was the money leader for at least a week.'"I never had a doubt that I could do it," he said of competing with the world's top players. "I think it's great. It's more confidence for me. It's going to help me to keep improving during the year. Sometimes, it's going to go the right way. Sometimes, unfortunately, it won't. I've just got to keep it going."
Garcia kept it going long enough yesterday to shoot 31 on the front side and 33 on the back to finish one shot off the tournament record held by David Duval and Mike Weir. He eagled the par-5 ninth, just missing a double-eagle by three feet. The Spaniard made the turn and birdied four holes on the back to put all the pressure on Toms.
The PGA Championship winner had a chance to beat Garcia in regulation, but his birdie putt on the final hole finished inches from the cup. Toms would later say the mist on the green slowed the ball just enough to keep him from winning in regulation.
Garcia had a similar putt on the playoff hole, but unlike Toms, he drilled his straight and true.
"The rain was coming down pretty heavy on my birdie putt in regulation," Toms said. "Even (Chris) DiMarco made the comment, 'The mist got you.' I felt I hit it solid enough not to be short. I guess I should have given it a chance.
"You know, that's just the way I putt. I'm not a real aggressive putter. That's just the way I putt and I fell short. I was convinced I was going to make it and win right there. I'm disappointed I didn't win, but not in how I played. I had a real good chance to win.
"Sergio is a great guy. He's fun to be around. I'm happy for him. He played well. He's obviously got a lot of talent. Maybe he's ready to break out. He's got the power and great imagination around the greens."
Second- and third-round leader Kenny Perry finished a stroke back at 17-under 275. His eagle chip on the 18th came up short. Had he sunk it, he would have been in the playoff as well. Defending champion Jim Furyk placed fourth at 277, with DiMarco, Scott McCarron and Mark Calcavecchia another shot back at 14-under 278.
"I'm very happy to beat all these great golfers," Garcia said. "I've always said that, yes, it's great for you guys (media) to become the rivalry of Tiger Woods, whatever. But I've always said there's not two guys playing the tournament.
"There's usually 125 or 130. All of them can play golf and really well. And I don't think that you should just focus on one. All of them are playing great -- there's Phil Mickelson, David Duval, Mike Weir. This is becoming a tour again. It used to be a tour and a guy (Woods). It's great to be able to be on that tour."
MERCEDES CHAMPIONSHIPS SCORES
At The Plantation Course
Final round
x-won on first hole of playoff
x-Sergio Garcia, $720,000 73-69-68-64 -- 274 David Toms, $432,000 69-66-72-67 -- 274 Kenny Perry, $275,000 68-67-71-69 -- 275 Jim Furyk, $196,000 67-72-73-65 -- 277 Scott McCarron, $150,000 71-72-69-66 -- 278 Mark Calcavecchia, $150,000 72-66-71-69 -- 278 Chris DiMarco, $150,000 67-72-68-71 -- 278 Scott Verplank, $130,000 67-69-70-73 -- 279 Brad Faxon, $120,000 71-71-69-69 -- 280 Tiger Woods, $105,000 68-74-74-65 -- 281 Bob Estes, $105,000 70-70-71-70 -- 281 David Duval, $92,000 67-71-72-72 -- 282 Joel Edwards, $88,000 69-71-71-72 -- 283 Retief Goosen, $83,500 69-71-77-67 -- 284 Mike Weir, $83,500 63-74-74-73 -- 284 Davis Love III, $77,500 69-72-78-68 -- 287 Tom Pernice, Jr., $77,500 70-70-75-72 -- 287 Justin Leonard, $73,000 70-72-75-71 -- 288 Cameron Beckman, $73,000 67-73-75-73 -- 288 Joe Durant, $69,000 73-73-74-69 -- 289 Frank Lickliter II, $69,000 66-74-77-72 -- 289 Scott Hoch, $64,000 72-75-73-70 -- 290 Shigeki Maruyama, $64,000 72-75-72-71 -- 290 Robert Allenby, $64,000 74-72-71-73 -- 290 Steve Stricker, $60,000 71-70-79-71 -- 291 Hal Sutton, $57,000 75-73-76-68 -- 292 Jesper Parnevik, $57,000 74-75-72-71 -- 292 John Cook, $55,000 72-69-78-74 -- 293 David Gossett, $54,000 74-78-72-72 -- 296 Jeff Sluman, $52,500 74-76-78-70 -- 298 Robert Damron, $52,500 69-73-85-71 -- 298 Garrett Willis, $51,000 77-80-74-73 -- 304
News and notes from yesterday's action at the Mercedes Championships: NOTEBOOK
Garcia edged Toms by a (sore) neck
KAPALUA, Maui >> David Toms began the day with a pain in the neck and it wasn't Sergio Garcia.A disc problem flared up that required therapy and medication to keep it under control for the Louisiana native, who eventually lost to Garcia in a playoff. And while he said it didn't affect his play on the long par-5 18th, Toms wasn't able to cut loose and go for the green in the playoff.
His third shot on the par-5, 663-yard hole was considerably short of Garcia's. In fact, his second shot on the 18th in the playoff, didn't even make it up the hill.
"I was 142 yards into the wind and he was just off the edge of the green," Toms said. "I need a 9-iron on my third shot and he's chipping. That shows the big advantage right there. But to be honest, the only place my back really hurt me is I thought I could get over the hazard on No. 5.
"I hit it as good as I can. I left it in the hazard there. Other than that, I just played within myself all day. I mean, it was always there nagging, but I don't think it really affected me that much. I have a disc problem in my neck that flares up from time to time. Today was a bad day for it to happen."
Toms had a chance to win in regulation, but left his birdie putt a half-roll short of the hole. He and Garcia returned to the 18th, where Garcia won with a birdie in sudden-death.
"I felt I was going to make that putt in regulation," Toms said. "The mist got me. I was convinced I was going to make it and win the tournament right there. It just didn't get there."
Another playoff: This year's playoff at the Mercedes was the 10th in tournament history and the first since Tiger Woods beat Ernie Els on the second hole of sudden-death in 2000. Garcia is 1-1 in PGA Tour playoffs.
Garcia lost to Mike Weir at last year's Tour Championship. Toms is now 1-2. He beat Weir at the 2000 Michelob Championship and lost to him at the 2001 Tour Championship. Garcia birdied the 18th in regulation and in the playoff yesterday. It was the only two times Garcia birdied the hole this week.
Garcia in the swing: With his victory, Garcia earned 100 points to take the lead in the tour's West Coast Swing that's presented by The St. Paul. It is a points race that kicks off the season with players battling for the top prize of $500,000. The second- and third-place finishers earn $300,000 and $200,000.
Each winner in the first nine events of the season, including this week's Sony Open, receives 100 points with a gradual decline of points awarded down to 10 for a 10th-place finish. Davis Love III won it last year.
Inside the numbers: Woods, Love, Jim Furyk and Scott McCarron were the only golfers yesterday to record bogey-free rounds. Toms, Garcia, Shigeki Maruyama and Cameron Beckman carded the only eagles.
Once again, No. 1 proved to be the most difficult hole with a 4.281 stroke average. The average for the field dipped more than three strokes yesterday from Saturday's third round --from 73.563 to 70.031.
For the day, the field was 95-under par vs. 18-over on Saturday, a 118-stroke turnaround. For the tournament, the stroke average was 71.484, compared to 70.909 in 2001.
Paul Arnett, Star-Bulletin