Sergio Drinks up Victory at the Booz Allen

Weeks after his record-setting final-round collapse at the Wachovia Championships, Sergio Garcia pulled off a nifty 65 to surge to victory at the Booz Allen Classic. It marks the second year in a row the young Spaniard has won the event prior to the U.S. Open. “I guess they should move the U.S. Open one week earlier,” said Garcia. “It is the tougher courses I feel good playing.” No player has ever won the U.S. Open after winning the week before.

Garcia’s victory was not without some slip-ups. He missed the green on the last hole, the famous par-3 finisher at Congressional, and nearly chipped across the green. Adam Scott, playing in the group behind him, had unfortunately caught a flyer into the water right and long on 17, but was only two behind until he got wet. Sergio’s collapse at Wachovia fresh in his mind, he two-putted for bogey, all but assuring the victory.

Said Garcia, “I guess it turned out right this time. It’s not the way I like to finish, but a win is a win.” Garcia’s 14-under total of 270 was two better than Davis Love III (66), Ben Crane (67), and the defending champion Adam Scott (68). Garcia fired a blistering front-nine 30 to seize the lead, and had a cushion of up to four strokes throughout the day. Third-round leader Tom Kite‘s putting gave out, leading to a +3 74 and a tie for 13th.

Garcia’s four-round total of 270, which began with an uneventful 71 compared to Matt Gogel’s -8, ties the course record at Congressional Country Club. Hosting its first PGA Tour event in eight years, the course didn’t play its normally brutal self, and only Craig Stadler managed at 270 at the then-known Kemper Open in 1981.

Garcia owes a big part of his paycheck to none other than second-place finisher Adam Scott, who gave him a putting tip earlier this week. Garcia led the tournament in putting average, and one-putted eight consecutive holes on Sunday. “The last couple of rounds this week, I was standing over a lot of putts thinking, ‘This is going in.’ It didn’t matter the length or the difficulty of the putt,” Garcia said. “I could see the ball going in.” Scott joked “Maybe I should charge him.”

Adam later added that he had no regrets about offering the advice – a common practice on the PGA Tour – because “Sergio’s a good friend. I don’t want to see him struggle. I’d rather us playing our best and battling it out to see who’s better. That’s what we’re out here for. Hopefully he keeps putting well and I get a bit more commission out of him.”

Scott gave Garcia a second present much later in the week, when his ball took an unusual bounce on the green, in a bunker, and then wound up in the water behind the 17th green. Scott’s up-and-down bogey assured Garcia the win unless Adam Scott could hole out on the last hole to tie. Scott parred. “I’d give anything to have that shot back at 17. It was a bit of a bad break, but you have the good breaks when you win.”

Some of the big names had big days or big numbers. Phil Mickelson fell to a 74. Ernie Els managed only a 72 after pulling and slicing tee shots and approach shots all over the course. He birdied four straight before four straight bogeys ended his bid for victory. Vijay Singh managed an even-par 71 including a triple bogey at the par-3 18th. His tie for 29th gives the first spot in the Official World Golf Ranking back to Tiger Woods, 12.74 to 12.36.

Pos  Player             Tot    R1    R2    R3    R4    Tot
1    Sergio Garcia      -14    71    68    66    65    270
T2   Davis Love III     -12    69    68    69    66    272
T2   Ben Crane          -12    67    70    68    67    272
T2   Adam Scott         -12    68    67    69    68    272
5    Ryuji Imada        -10    70    71    66    67    274
6    Rory Sabbatini      -9    69    68    68    70    275
T7   Joey Snyder III     -8    69    72    67    68    276
T7   Joe Durant          -8    70    67    70    69    276
T7   Rod Pampling        -8    70    71    66    69    276
T7   Matt Gogel          -8    63    72    70    71    276
T7   Ernie Els           -8    69    67    68    72    276
T7   Stuart Appleby      -8    70    69    65    72    276
T13  Chris DiMarco       -7    73    67    70    67    277
T13  Paul Goydos         -7    67    69    73    68    277
T13  Tim Clark           -7    67    70    71    69    277
T13  Chad Campbell       -7    72    69    65    71    277
T13  Robert Allenby      -7    68    65    72    72    277
T13  Steve Elkington     -7    68    67    69    73    277
T13  Luke Donald         -7    70    67    67    73    277
T13  Tom Kite            -7    68    69    66    74    277

The victory is Sergio Garcia’s sixth on the PGA Tour and his first this year.