Last year at Sawgrass Garcia gave winner Mickelson something to think about. Playing well ahead of the leader, he shot 67-66 on the weekend to eventually finish second. With his fast start on Thursday, "El Nino" is 17-under for his last three rounds at a course that is hardly a pushover. Asked which of his last three rounds was best, he pointed out that he made double-bogey on 18 to shoot last year's 67.
Before the arrival of Tiger Woods, absent this week as he recovers from surgery on his left knee, it was a given that golfers don't mature until their 30s. But the world No. 1 changed that with 46 Tour victories, including 10 majors before he turned 30. He redefined what's possible for a young player. However, he is also, suddenly, not in the picture, and likely won't return until next month's U.S. Open.
All of which may be giving comfort to young players like Garcia who have been compared to Woods only to be throttled by him in competition. It's starting to look like more than a coincidence that each of the big newsmakers on Tour during the last three weeks — Adam Scott, 27, at the EDS Byron Nelson, 22-year-old Kim and Garcia — have been tabbed the heir apparent to Tiger. When the cat's away, the mice will play.
"I think you need to put it in perspective that Tiger's somewhat unique," said Tom Lehman, who has known Garcia since he was 16 and calls him a friend. When told that Garcia was 6 under par, Lehman's first question was, "What's he using, the short putter? The belly putter?" The answer: a short putter he used in 2000, with a conventional grip.
"I have always hoped for the best for him," Lehman continued. "My [hope] would be that he finds something that he believes in and then works at it and perfects it and gets that confidence in it like his confidence tee-to-green. If he can just relay that confidence to the green, then he's going to be a serious force."
After the first round of the 2008 Players, Garcia is indeed closer and closer to being one.
