Sergio Garcia’s chances at The Players Championship were washed away in the water surrounding the 17th green on Sunday afternoon, as he hit his tee shot short of the green, then added a second one into the hazard, as well.
In case you’re wondering, in 59 career rounds at TPC Sawgrass, Woods has hit a tee shot into the water six times.
Standing on the 17th tee with a one-stroke lead, aware that Garcia was likely about to make birdie in the group behind him on the par-5 16th, Woods aimed for the fat part of the famous island green on Sunday afternoon in The Players Championship.
“I knew where Sergio was,” he later explained. “I was on 17 tee and I saw he had a putter in hand, so he obviously knocked it on in two.”
Rather than get aggressive and go for a flagstick tucked on the right side, Woods hit his tee shot to the front-middle portion – “My ball got hammered by the wind,” he said – and two-putted for par.
Just minutes later, Garcia knocked two shots into the surrounding water, effectively ending his title hopes.
“I just under-hit it a little bit,” he said. “I felt with a little bit of adrenaline and stuff I didn’t want to shoot over the green with a wedge. Just needed to hit it a little bit harder, maybe a little too confident.”