IS THIS FINALLY GARCIA’S TIME?
Sergio tied for lead in search of first major
AUGUSTA, Ga. — After a miserable third round in the 2012 Masters, a pragmatic Sergio Garcia told the golf world he wasn’t capable of winning a major championship.
‘‘ Maybe it’s something psychological,’’ he said. ‘‘ After 13 years, my chances are over. I’m not good enough for the majors.’’
Five years later at the 2017Masters, a jubilant Garcia is thinking otherwise.
‘‘ Things are happening at the moment,’’ Garcia said after his 3- under- par 69 in the second round Friday of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. ‘‘ So I want to make sure that I keep riding that wave.’’
Onanother difficult day, inwhich biting cold greeted the players and strong winds stayed throughout, Garcia rode a terrific start to the first page of the leaderboard. The man labeled as the ‘‘ Best Player Without a Major’’ started with three birdies and overcame his first three bogeys of the tournament with three more birdies to move to 4- under 140 through 36 holes.
That earned him residence at the top of a sizzling leaderboard alongside Rickie Fowler ( 5- under 67), Charley Hoffman ( 3- over 75) and Thomas Pieters ( 4- under 68).
Pieters, the Belgian bomber who had a breakout performance in the 2016 Ryder Cup, is in position to win in his first Masters. Since he was a kid, he always has dreamed of making the putt to win a green jacket.
‘‘ I’ve holed the winning putt about a million times,’’ he said. ‘‘ I’vewatched itmywhole life, as do all those guys. We’ve all had that in practice, that winning putt. Hopefully one day.’’
One day might come Sunday. Unless William McGirt, who is playing in his first Masters and is two shots back, makes the putt. He followed a 69 — he and Hoffman were the only players to break 70 in the first round— with a 1- over 73.
Just three back are Justin Rose ( even- par 72), Ryan Moore ( 69), Jon Rahm ( 2- under 70) and Fred Couples, the 1992 Masters champion and crowd favorite at age 58. Couples has kept his usual cool through a few tough situations and shot 73- 70. He would become by 11 years the oldest player to win the Masters.
Within striking distance are a few other big names. At even par and four shots back is quite a threesome: three- time Masters champion Phil Mickelson ( 73), 2015 Masters champion Jordan Spieth ( 69) and 2013 Masters champion Adam Scott ( 69). Four- time major champion Rory McIlroy needs a Masters title to complete the career grand slam and is five back after a 73.
‘‘ We hung in there,’’ Spieth said. ‘‘ We are in a good position.’’
So, too, is Garcia, 37, who is 0- for- 73 in the four biggest tournaments in golf, accumulating 22 top10s, including six top- threes, and a lot of heartbreak. In his tortured relationship with majors, Garcia came closest to winning one in the 2007 British Open, when he came within an eyelash of making a putt on the 72nd hole that would have earned him the claret jug ( it later escaped his grasp in a playoff loss to Padraig Harrington). He also fell short by one stroke to TigerWoods in the 1999 PGA Championship, a performance that ignited thoughts of a rivalry for decades to come.
WhileWoods added major glory, Garcia did not despite 30 titles worldwide. In the majors, he often did himself in with a defeatist attitude and a knack for turning bad breaks into huge downfalls. But now, with a bit more gray in his beard and hair, he’s a wiser man than he was back in 2012. He has worked hard to accept misfortune inside the gallery ropes instead of letting it fester.
Garcia’s personal life is on the upswing, too. He will marry former Golf Channel reporter Angela Aikens this summer.
‘‘ Things have definitely changed,’’ said Garcia, who is play-
ing in his 19th Masters. ‘‘ I think that I’m a little bit calmer now. I think that I’m working on trying to accept things. It’s part of golf. It’s not easy. It’s much easier to say than to do it. But that’s the challenge we always have, making sure that you accept the bad moments or the bad breaks with the good ones and kind of move on.
‘‘ I probably didn’t accept things as well as I should have. And I’ve shown myself many times after that that I can contend and I can truly feel like I can win. I’m excited about the challenges that this weekend is going to bring, and hopefully I’ll step up to them and be able to be up there on Sunday with a solid chance at winning.’’
Fowler also is trying to win his first major. The popular star, who won earlier this year in the Honda Classic, is tied for the lead in a major after the completion of a round for the first time.
‘‘ I knew the first two days would be tough,’’ Fowler said. ‘‘ We just had to tough it out. The leaderboard is packed with big names, players with big games. It’s going to be a fun weekend.’’