More Marshals Back Tiger Over TPC Tale
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he spat between Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia rumbled on as two marshals who worked at the Players Championship backed Woods’s version of the events that sparked the ap. Woods won the event for the second time in his career, stretching his lead atop the world rankings and moving within four of matching Sam Snead’s career record of 82 US PGA Tour titles. The Florida Times-Union, a newspaper in Jacksonville, Florida, quoted two tournament marshals who disputed a Sports Illustrated account earlier that week that suggested Woods lied about the third-round incident that miffed Garcia. “It is not true and deďŹ nitely unfair to Tiger,â€? Brian Nedrich, who was a marshal at the second hole at TPC Sawgrass during the third round of the tournament on Saturday, told the newspaper. Garcia said Woods pulled a club from his bag as the Spaniard was hitting his second shot at the hole, sparking a crowd reaction that distracted him during his swing. Woods, who was off the fairway and couldn’t see Garcia, said a marshal had told him the
Spaniard had already hit. But Sports Illustrated quoted marshal Gary Anderson as saying Woods didn’t speak to them. “He didn’t ask us nothing and we didn’t say nothing,� Anderson said. “We’re told not to talk to the players.� Nedrich told the Times-Union that he was the marshal who said Garcia had hit. Nedrich said Woods did pull his club before Garcia hit, television replays showed that occurred as Garcia stood over his ball but before his backswing. When fans behind Woods began to move about, marshal Lance Paczkowski asked for quiet telling them the other player hadn’t hit, the newspaper said. “That’s when I yelled back at Lance, ‘No ... he’s already hit,’� Nedrich said. “Tiger had already taken his club, but we did tell him that Sergio had hit.� Nedrich said he thought the whole incident was unfortunate, “And I don’t think either player is to blame. It’s disingenuous to suggest that Tiger is a liar because he got a minor detail wrong,� Nedrich told the newspaper. “Basically, he told the truth.�
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tournament.â€? He made no more mistakes from there, adding a birdie at the par-ďŹ ve 16th to get to 13-under and ďŹ nishing with back-to-back pars. Garcia got to 13-under with a birdie at 16. Garcia said before the ďŹ nal round he was happy not to be playing in the same group with Woods. “I think it’s probably good for both of us,â€? said Garcia after the pair’s uneasy relationship took another hit on Saturday when the Spaniard complained that a move by Woods to remove a club from his bag just as Garcia was hitting a shot sparked distracting crowd noise. Woods said he thought Garcia had already hit when he pulled the club, adding it was “not real surprising that he’s complaining about somethingâ€?. That brought a huffy response from the Spaniard. “At least I’m true to myself,â€? he
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said. “I know what I’m doing, and he can do whatever he wants.� Playing with the little-known Lingmerth didn’t do Garcia any good when it came to the par-three 17th, TPC Sawgrass’ signature hole with its island green. Garcia was in the water twice en route to a quadruple-bogey seven, then took a double-bogey at 18, where he was also in the water - to cap a four-over 76 that left
him tied for eighth on seven-under 281. Garcia won the Players in 2008 in a playoff at the 17th against Paul Goydos. “That hole has been good to me for the most part,� Garcia said. “Today it wasn’t. That’s the way it is. That’s the kind of hole it is. You’ve got to love it for what it is.� Maggert fell back with a double-bogey at 17, closing with a two-under 70 for 11-under 277. Streelman carded a 67 to grab his share of second on 277. Lingmerth was the last player with a chance to challenge Woods, but he was unable to convert his birdie attempt at 17 and pull level and he closed with a bogey for an even-par 72 for 277. GOLF ASIA 21