Sergio García (-1) delivered one of the best rounds of the day on Thursday at the start of the US Open Championship on the No. 2 course at Pinehurst. It was also one of his best rounds in this Major. Specifically, his third-best start (only surpassed by 2016 and 2002) and his eighth-best card ever. It’s quite something considering he has played 87 rounds in the US Open. It was an outstanding performance. He’s up there, four strokes behind Patrick Cantlay (-5), the first leader.
It’s been 25 years since his debut in this tournament back in 2000. Well, Sergio still surprises himself. For those who still doubt that you can always be learning new things throughout your life, today García has given a lesson. He assures that it has been one of the best days of his career from the tee and the first time he manages to be patient and stick to the plan during the 18 holes.
“The strategy was to aim for the centre of the green and be very cautious with the putts. I never deviated from that. And it wasn’t easy, because I played so well from the tee that I was often in a position to attack some flags. However, we always shot five or six metres away from the hole. The line is very thin between a good shot and one that is not bad at all, but ends up very badly. I have never had so much patience or that mentality in a round being so well placed from the tee. I am proud and satisfied,” he assured after signing the card.
He played very well and the plan worked out perfectly. Starting from the tee. Just before the Miami LIV Golf tournament, a little over two months ago, he put a new driver in the bag, the TaylorMade Q10 Max. It was love at first sight and it’s working wonders. He’s very comfortable with it. Today he hit 13 of the 14 fairways, although he disagrees… and rightly so. “For me, it was fourteen. The only one I missed was on the 1st and it bounced almost in the centre of the fairway, but rolling it ended up just outside. I also give myself that one. It was 14.”
As for the shots to the green, more of the same. A wonderful clock. He reminded us of his best versions at Valderrama. He caught 16 greens. He only had to recover on the 2nd, where he made a very good putt of four and a half metres, and on the 9th, where he signed an exceptional bunker shot and a great putt of less than a metre.
In fact, he could have taken a better booty from this first round if some more putts had gone in. Sergio doesn’t get so wonderful. “It’s not easy to make the birdie putts. You can’t be aggressive because you go a metre and a half past the flag and end up off the green. You have to be very careful,” he says.
Sergio celebrated his silver wedding at the US Open with a magnificent round of golf, playing under par, without making any bogey and overcoming mental challenges impossible in the past. You can’t ask for much more.
