Following his five-under-par performance on Friday, Sergio García carded a four-under-par round on Saturday to lead the LIV Miami with a cumulative score of -9 heading into the final round.
Sergio Garcia, results
The Spanish golfer posted a 68, featuring six birdies and two bogeys, giving him a two-shot lead over a group of four players: South African Dean Burmester, Talor Gooch, Matthew Wolf, and British golfer Tyrell Hatton.
Jon Rahm, who will defend his green jacket at the Masters Tournament in Augusta next week, sits four shots behind the leader after shooting two-under-par on Saturday, with four birdies and two bogeys. The other two Spaniards in the field are further back: Eugenio López Chacarra has a cumulative score of one over par, while David Puig is six over par.
García turned professional in 1999 after impressively posting the lowest amateur score in the 1999 Masters Tournament. He quickly made a name for himself on the European Tour, securing his first title at the Irish Open in July 1999, just six starts into his professional career.
García gained widespread attention after a memorable duel with Tiger Woods in the 1999 PGA Championship, where he finished second by a narrow one-stroke margin. One of García’s most iconic moments came during the PGA Championship’s final round when he found his ball up against a tree trunk in the rough on the 16th hole, with the green out of sight.
Undeterred, he closed his eyes and executed a remarkable low curving fade shot that landed on the green. As the shot unfolded, García sprinted into the fairway and then leaped with excitement to witness the result. This performance earned him the distinction of being the youngest player to compete in the Ryder Cup shortly thereafter.
In 2002, García achieved another milestone during a practice round at the Masters when he scored an albatross (double eagle) on the par-5 second hole, a rare feat in golf history. On the 575-yard hole at Augusta National Golf Club, García holed a 253-yard 2-iron following a 325-yard drive.
At the beginning of his professional career, García’s swing was unconventional, characterized by a circular loop and a large lag, drawing comparisons to legendary player Ben Hogan. Although he made efforts to refine his swing towards a more conventional style in 2003, García largely retained his original method.
Additionally, García was known for his “waggle” habit, repeatedly gripping, releasing, and regripping his hands on the club handle before taking a shot. Despite criticism of his swing, García defended his approach, stating, “My swing works for me, so why should I change it? I prefer to have a natural swing and play well rather than a perfect swing and not be able to play good.”
