High Hopes For Garcia
While others were counting him out of the Masters, Sergio Garcia insisted his game wasn't so bad.
He proved it Thursday, shooting a 2-under-par 70 to share third place after the first round at Augusta National.
He opened the day with two birdies, then fought his way through blustery conditions to maintain a spot near the top of the leaderboard.
It's quite a different position from his four previous stroke-play tournaments this year. The 20-year-old Spaniard finished no higher than 35th in those, and missed the cut in two, including two weeks ago in The Players Championship.
"I forget everything," Garcia said. "You have to forget everything and keep working and playing well and try to win tournaments. That's what I do."
Garcia turned pro after a successful trip to the Masters last year. He followed with a wild ride of a season that had him pegged as everything from the next rival to Tiger Woods, to a temperamental flash in the pan with too many swing flaws to succeed.
He finished Thursday's first round of the Masters five strokes ahead of Woods and showed no ill effects from the swing or any other part of his game.
On the first hole, Garcia hit his approach shot to three feet, eliminating the danger from the fast greens at Augusta for birdie. On No. 2, he did the same.
The solid iron play made it easy for him to forget his last performance, the dismal 82-72 at the TPC that sent him home for the weekend.
"I'm hitting the ball so comfortable and so well that I don't really care about that tournament anymore," Garcia said. "I'm playing the Masters right now."
It's a tournament that has been kind to Spaniards. José Maria Olazábal won his second green jacket last year. Seve Ballesteros has two titles, as well. Garcia talked with both of them before making his first professional appearance at Augusta.
"They told me a couple of good things, places to be cute and places not to miss it," Garcia said. "They gave me a lot of confidence. I think playing here last year helped a lot."
Garcia shot 7-over as an amateur in the Masters last year and turned pro immediately afterward.
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