Early Riser García Catches the Birdies

Sergio García, last seen complaining about the mythical bad luck that cost him the Open Championship at Carnoustie, finally laid the curse of self-pity to one side yesterday and set his mind to the business of playing world-class golf, shooting a six-under par 66 to take a two-shot lead over the field early on the first day of the Players Championship.

On any day, on any course, this would have been a terrific score but on a day when Sawgrass offered a near perfect challenge it amounted to García's most productive day's work since those giddy times in Scotland last summer, when he played himself into a three-shot lead at Carnoustie with one round left.

Alas, or at least alas for anyone who prefers sullen Spaniards to garrulous Irishmen , he succumbed on the final day to Padraig Harrington. Since then he has continued to make bucket loads of money - few players on the PGA tour fail to do that - but as a golfing presence he has been not so much a pale shadow of his former self as a rumor; a remembrance of great things past.

Indeed, even the artless art of making big bucks has deserted him this PGA tour season. He has made seven cuts in eight events but his best finish has been a tie for 17th at the CA Championship in Miami. He missed the cut at the Masters. Meanwhile a trawl through the statistical record of his season feels like a walk through a hillside cemetery, with his putting woes etched on every tombstone; ranked 104th on tour on putts of five feet or less; 164th on putts between five and 10 feet; 161st on putts between 20 and 25 feet.

It was ever thus in the tempestuous relationship between García and his rotating cast of putters. Normally he is able to rely on his ball-striking to carry him through but this year his play from tee to green has shaded, too. The result has been his fall, if not from grace then at least from the thoughts of those trying to pick the winners of big events like the Players.

Teeing off early in the morning, before a breeze arrived, he birdied four of his opening nine holes and added two more on his back nine before bogeying the 8th - his penultimate - hole. The sour taste was fleeting as he then ended his day with a birdie on the last. Afterwards he was quick to credit Stan Utley, a putting coach who has been helping him in recent weeks.

"The main idea is that I have to get back to putting the way I did 10 years ago, when I was a good putter. So I've gone back to putting that way; of addressing the ball the same way; and the way my stroke used to be," he said. "It's been good. Now I come out and I can say actually shot a score I deserved to shoot and not come out and think I should have been four or five shots better."

García's 66 gave him a two-shot lead over Kenny Perry and Paul Goydos of the United States and a three-shot advantage of a group which included Ian Poulter but many were still out on the course .

The English dandy possesses far less natural talent than García but putts like a demon and is mercifully free of mental frailties that haunt his one-time Ryder Cup colleague. To listen to him review his round is invariably an invitation to wonder how he failed to break 60. He has never knowingly undersold himself and, in fairness, he had no reason to yesterday after a 69 which featured three birdies and a spirited revival after two sloppy mid-round bogeys.

"Last week I have 17 birdies and one eagle and finished two-under par for the tournament," he said. "That is insane and I've had a good talk to myself and told myself to cut out the stupid mistakes. Hopefully I can keep this up."