Ponte Vedre, FL ..
Masters champion, Sergio Garcia sensationally celebrated his return to competition with an ace late in his round on day one of the Players Championship at Ponte Vedre in Florida.
Garcia used a 52-degree wedge at the famed island-green par three 17th sending his 123-yard tee shot onto the green and delighting in seeing his ball take two bounces before spinning back into the bottom of the cup.
The Spaniard lifted his right arm and clenched fist into the air as a massive roar of delight erupted around the hole on the Stadium course at TPC Sawgrass.
Garcia had been three-over par at the time having moments earlier birdied the par five, 16th and after having earlier bogeyed the 15th his last four holes read 5,4,1 and 4 in an eventual one-over par 73.
Among those first to congratulate Garcia was fellow Spaniard and former double European Tour winner, Jose Manuel Lara who is caddying for Garcia while regular caddy, Glen Murray is on a month’s leave after the birth of a second child.
“I hit a good shot, but it can go anywhere, it can go three yards past but I don’t know, as it can do anything so it was nice to see it bounce and kind of spin back into the hole,” Garcia said.
“That was my 12th ace as I have had five in tournaments and seven in practice.
“And the reaction from all the crowd was great. I wish we would have had the amount of people on the concert because there was a lot more, but yeah, it was good fun.
“Maybe because I needed it after the start I had. It kind of made quite a poor round into — not a great round but a decent round. If I have a good day tomorrow, I’ll still be in good shape”.
Garcia’s effort is first as a reigning Augusta National champion on the PGA Tour in 20-years since Tiger Woods managed the same feat in 1997.
Unfortunately, there was no prize of a new car or a boot load of cash or even a bottle of champagne but just the honour on the final tee for Garcia to end the opening day one of the $US 10.5m event trailing in a share of 66th place and six shots behind the leading duo of American William McGirt and Canadian Mackenzie Hughes.
Aussie Adam Scott, who is competing alongside Garcia for the first two rounds of the $US 10.5m event had led by a shot on six-under par but proceeded to double his closing two holes in a score of a two-under par 70.
