Garcia looks set to seal deal on first Major
By Andy Calton, TG Editor
Tour News
21 July 2007 19:14
Sergio Garcia is on the verge of winning his first Major. The fiery Spaniard leads by three shots with just the final round to play tomorrow.
Despite the challenging Carnoustie course being lashed by wind and rain, the 27-year-old shot an impressive 68 to end the third round nine under.
"I wouldn't change anything for the world right now. I feel great. There's nothing better than seeing your name on top of the leaderboard day after day. I've just got to do it for one more day."
Garcia started with a birdie on the first and he never dropped a shot all day. The only time it looked like things could could go wrong was when he hit a spectator with his approach shot on the 17th. "I hit a bad 4-iron and I saw there was a person lying down.
"The good thing was that when I got there I shook his hand. He told me he was fine. I think I hit him on the back of the neck. But he said he was okay and not to worry about what I was doing. That helped."
Garcia steadied himself and hit his third shot to within about three foot. And he made the par putt.
He now looks set to seal the deal on his first Major with Steve Stricker in second place, three shots back. Stricker hit an incredible 64 to equal the course record.
He said: "It was just one of those rounds when everything goes right. It was quite a day and it gives me a chance tomorrow."
Chris Di Marco and Irishman Paul McGinley are tied third on three under and will have to go low to catch the sizzling Spaniard.
Ernie Els recovered from a terrible triple bogey on the par-5 sixth to record a 68 - he is now three under. He is joined by Englishman Paul Broadhurst who was playing with Els and also had trouble on the sixth when he hit his tee shot out of bounds. He said: "It did make me feel a bit better when Ernie went out of bounds too.
"With Sergio at nine under, that's me six adrift. That may be too many."
Tiger Woods had an up-and-down day, but still managed to shoot a 69 and end up at one under.
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