Garcia turns tables on Ryder Cup rival Kim at Tour Championship

9/28/2008

Sergio Garcia enjoyed an amazing turnaround Saturday against Anthony Kim in the Tour Championship, and it had nothing to do with the Ryder Cup.

Garcia shot 3-under 67 to go from a three-shot deficit on the front nine to a three-shot lead through 54 holes, leaving him poised to become only the third player to capture The Players Championship and the Tour Championship in the same year.

Garcia was at 8-under 202 and will play in the final pairing Sunday with Phil Mickelson, who made some long par putts and just enough birdies for a 69, giving him a chance to end his year on a strong note.

Six days after Kim crushed Garcia in the leadoff singles match at the Ryder Cup, the 23-year-old American looked as if he would get the best of Garcia again with six straight one-putt greens. But Kim hit only four fairways, and his wildness caught up with him.

The worst of it came on the ninth, when his tee shot hit a 48-year-old man in the forehead on the fly, opening a 2-inch gash that spilled blood on the Bermuda rough. The fan, David Whitfield of Atlanta, was taken to a hospital, but he never lost consciousness and appeared to be in good spirits.

Kim gave the man's wife a golf ball that he signed with a note: "Sorry."

Kim wound up with a 72 and was three shots behind.

Those two young stars in the final group of the third round finally brought some energy to the post-Ryder Cup blues at East Lake, although anyone hopeful of a rematch would have been sorely disappointed.

They were laughing and chatting from the start, especially on the first green when Garcia asked if he should move his ball mark.

There wasn't much humor early on.

Mickelson, who saved par from 35 feet on the 11th, briefly joined them in the lead with a birdie at the 15th, only to miss the fairway into thick rough on the next hole and drop a shot. Even so, he has been lurking around the leaders all week and worked his way into the final pairing on a course where he won in 2000.

Camilo Villegas had a 69 and was at 3-under 207, while Ben Curtis (68) and Robert Allenby (67) were another shot back.

Leaderboard – Round 3:

1. Sergio Garcia                   ESP  70 65 67 202 - 8
2. Phil Mickelson                 USA  68 68 69 205 - 5
    Anthony Kim                   USA  64 69 72 205 - 5
4. Samilo Villegas               COL  72 66 69 207 - 3
5. Ben Curtis                      USA  71 69 68 208 - 2
    Robert Allenby                AUS  75 66 67 208 - 2
7. K.J.Choi                         KOR  69 70 70 209 - 1
8. Mike Weir                       CAN  70 69 71 210   E
9. Kevin Sutherland             USA  71 71 69 211 +1
    Jim Furyk                       USA  72 70 69 211 +1
    Ernie Els                         SAF  68 73 70 211 +1

Source: AP, PGA Tour