Friday, December 1, 2000
Garcia leads Woods' Williams World Challenge
By KEN PETERS
AP Sports Writer
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) — Sergio Garcia is getting a jump
on the 2001 season.
Garcia, who failed to win in 16 PGA Tour starts this year but
has played extremely well in made-for-TV events, shot a 7-under
65 Thursday to take the lead in the Williams World Challenge.
“I'm really, really looking forward to next season,”
said Garcia, who had an eagle, six birdies and a lone bogey to
forge a one-stroke lead over playing partner Vijay Singh.
The 20-year-old Spaniard was particularly accurate with his irons,
leaving himself close birdie chances most of the round.
“I still missed a couple of very good birdie putts. I'm hitting
it so close that I expect to get birdie opportunities, and when
I don't make them, I don't get frustrated,” Garcia said.
Last week in the Skins Game, he birdied nine of 18 holes in regulation.
And he beat Tiger Woods in their “Battle of Bighorn”
duel in late August.
Singh birdied the final three holes on the way to his 66. Davis
Love III was another shot back with a 67.
Woods, host of the 12-player tournament, was tied with Fred Couples
at 68.
Garcia rolled in putts of 3, 10, 5 and 4 feet during his birdie
streak as he finished the back nine with a 4-under 32.
“My dad has been working with me on my putting,” he
said. “I've been trying to keep from closing the face when
I take it back.”
Garcia also credited his recent improvement to a change in the
driver and the balls he is using, saying he is getting more length
and accuracy off the tee, leaving him in better position to hit
his irons.
Woods had trouble near the cup, lipping out a string of putts.
Asked how many, he joked, “I'm not counting. But five lipped
out. I turned a nice 63 into a 68.”
He said there was really nothing wrong with his putting.
“If you're hitting the ball on line and at the proper pace
and it lips out, that's OK,” he said. “They're not going
to fall all the time.”
Tom Lehman, the winner of the inaugural event last January in
Scottsdale, Ariz., opened with a 70.
Stewart Cink struggled to a 79, including an 8 on the par-4 fourth
hole, where he hit into the water twice.
Jesper Parnevik came in at par-72, followed by Justin Leonard
at 73, Hal Sutton at 74, and Mark O'Meara and David Duval with
75s.
The $3.5 million, 72-hole tournament carries a $1 million winner's
prize. The event benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation, and Woods
will donate any money he earns to the foundation.
Even the last-place finisher is guaranteed $120,000.
Earlier in the day, it was announced that Woods had been voted
by his peers as the PGA Tour player of the year for the third
time in four years.
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