PLAYERS: Sergio Garcia finishes on fire to take early lead

With an incredible finish, Sergio Garcia has taken the early lead at the PLAYERS. Let’s take a look at how he got there, and at just how great that finish was.

It didn’t seem like it was going to be a special kind of day for Sergio. He started on the back nine, and through his first five holes, he was even, carding a par on every hole. Many players were struggling, so even wasn’t bad at all. He had already found a couple of greens up to that point but had not been able to capitalize with the putter. That would change, and quickly.

Heading to the 15th, Garcia would hit his approach to ~19 feet, and drain the putt for birdie. It was his longest putt of the day so far, and his first birdie. Then, on the par-5 16th, Garcia would hone in and put it just shy of ten feet from 210 yards out for a fantastic look at eagle. After the make, he vaulted into a T-3rd place at -3.

After giving one back at the 1st hole, he would get it right back on the second with a birdie, getting back to -3. He would get back into the rhythm that we saw him start the tournament with, as he would go ahead and make four straight birdies. Now two shots back from the leader at that time, he had three holes left, and it seemed like Sergio Garcia would be near the top of the leaderboard at the PLAYERS.

That wasn’t the case, as a strong finish would give Sergio Garcia the solo lead at the PLAYERS.

He had been -3 through 15 holes but would better that over the next three holes. After hitting the green on the par-4 7th, Sergio was staring down a ~17 footer. He would make the putt, and climb to within one shot of the lead at -4.

Then at the par-3 eighth, the putter would continue to stay hot, and he would knock in a ~19 footer to tie for the lead at -5. If you thought he was done, you’d be wrong. Heck, if you thought that the eagle that he made earlier in the day on the 16th hole would be his only one of the day… well, you would be wrong there too.

From an incredible 270 yards away, Sergio would knock it onto the green and have a chance to make just the second eagle of the day at the par-5 9th hole. Staring down his third straight putt of over 15 feet, Sergio would bang it home to finish the day with a 65, and sitting all alone at the top of the leaderboard with a score of -7.

There are still a lot of golfers left to take the course, and a lot of golf to be played. With a three-shot lead early, things are looking bright for Sergio Garcia at the PLAYERS.