Search Results Monday, July 29, 2002 Trevino: Garcia on track By Doug Ferguson Associated Press (Photo) PALM DESERT, Calif. — Sergio Garcia has come as close as anyone to creating a rivalry with Tiger Woods. Not bad, considering Garcia has won only three times on the PGA Tour and perhaps his most memorable victory didn’t even count. That one came under the lights two years ago when he beat Woods in the second annual “Battle at Bighorn,” the only time Woods has lost in the prime-time exhibition. Woods and Jack Nicklaus teamed up to beat Garcia and Lee Trevino in the fourth “Battle at Bighorn” Monday night, winning the match play event by three with two holes to play. Garcia hasn’t measured up to him in the majors — no one has — but his play over the last two years indicates it could be only a matter of time. “He’s only 22. I think he’s way ahead of the game,” said Trevino, who had never played with Garcia before Monday. Trevino first took notice when the young Spaniard made his PGA Tour debut in Dallas three years ago. Garcia birdied the final hole of the Byron Nelson Classic by hitting out of the rough and around a tree, the ball landing 10 feet behind the cup to put him in a tie for third. The next day, as Trevino promoted a senior tour event in Dallas, he raved about the new talent on tour. “One of the greatest swings I’ve ever seen,” Trevino said at the time. “There is no denying this kid. This kid is going to do very well.” Garcia hasn’t done anything to change that opinion. He already had made two Ryder Cup teams, and he went 3-1-1 at Brookline as the youngest player (19) in the event’s history. Two of his three PGA Tour victories came with Woods in the field (Buick Classic, Mercedes Championships). The other was at Colonial last year, where he came from behind to beat Phil Mickelson with a final-round 63. Garcia’s closest call in a major was at Medinah in the ‘99 PGA Championship, where he nearly made up a five-stroke deficit against Woods on the back nine before finishing one stroke behind. He has been in Sunday contention in five of the last six majors, and was paired with Woods in the final group in the U.S. Open at Bethpage. Garcia is making progress, and he’s still only 22. When Woods was that age, he already could count a major (the Masters by a record 12 strokes) among his seven victories worldwide. Garcia has seven victories worldwide, four of them coming on the European tour. What concerns Trevino is the hectic pace Garcia is setting. Garcia said at the start of the year that one of his goals was to win the money titles on both sides of the Atlantic. That involves playing a lot of golf. “I think what’s going to kill him — and Jack tried to tell me that — is he plays too much,” Trevino said. Garcia has toned down his international schedule, having only played the Spanish Open and the Johnnie Walker Classic overseas. He has played 18 official events through July, four more than Woods. Woods has never played more than 23 official tournaments a year since his first full season in 1997. He is on pace to play 21 this year, three of them overseas. Trevino never learned to pace himself. He got a late start in golf, not playing his first full year on the PGA Tour until he was 30, and played at least 25 tournaments his first seven years. Nicklaus, on the other hand, started paring his schedule almost immediately. He played only 23 tour events in his fourth year, and never played more than that the rest of his career. Garcia still has some issues to sort out and he still has some growing up to do. He has reduced the number of waggles and re-grips — a number that reached epic proportions earlier this year. He still shoots from the lip, which got him in trouble at Bethpage when he complained about the rain in the second round and suggested that Woods gets preferential treatment. Still, he has come a long way in a short time. “Sergio could be a great rival for Tiger, but he has to do it in the next three years,” Trevino said. “Sergio spends a lot of time at golf. If he keeps improving, look out. Because the kid is good already.”   Start or Join A Discussion about This Story Send the URL (Address) of This Story to A Friend: Enter their email address below:

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