Aug 31, 2013. Sergio Garcia opened with five birdies in seven holes, closed with an eagle, and wound up as the guy everyone was chasing on Saturday at the Deutsche Bank Championship.
By everyone, that means 28 players within six shots of his lead with 36 holes to play in the second leg of the FedExCup Playoffs. And somehow, that includes Phil Mickelson.
On another day of soft conditions and plenty of birdies at TPC Boston, Garcia had a 7-under 64 in the morning which stood as the 36-hole lead when the day was over. The Spaniard was at 13-under 129, one short of the tournament record. He had a one-shot lead over Roberto Castro and Henrik Stenson.
FedExCup leader Tiger Woods, in the 1-2-3-ranked grouping with Adam Scott and Mickelson that attracted massive galleries, made a 35-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole for a 67 and was among those within six shots of the lead.
Mickelson, however, managed to steal the show with a rollercoaster 71.
“I was playing terrible, and I shot even par,” Mickelson said. “I could easily have shot myself out of the tournament. I got it in the hazard I don’t know how many times. If I go on and play the way I believe I’m going to look back as these nine holes to be key to the tournament.”
Garcia is not a regular at the second FedExCup Playoffs event. He prefers to take this week off to rest, but he couldn’t guarantee that he would be among the top 70 in the standings after the Deutsche Bank Championship who will advance to the third event.
“Sixteen guys could easily pass me if they played well,” Garcia said. “So we decided to come here and make a little bit of an extra effort of playing five weeks in a row, which I don’t usually enjoy very much.”
Garcia looked as if he would be much higher in the FedExCup standings earlier this year, when he had top 10s in a World Golf Championship, the Masters and THE PLAYERS Championship. But his year took a bad turn off the course when Garcia had a two-week public spat with Woods that started at THE PLAYERS.
Garcia apologized to Woods after one incident, though he was clearly rattled. Garcia hasn’t finished in the top 20 since.
“Everything has been kind of a little difficult, but it’s good,” Garcia said. “It’s been a good learning experience. So I think that you always have to try to take the positives out of all those things and learn from your mistakes. And hopefully, (they) make you a better player, a better person.”
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