Video: Sergio Garcia's "Top 3" Recovery Shot

Usually recovery shots aren't worth your time and this one may have been a lot more magnificent in person than it appeared on television. Still, the only thing more shocking that Sergio Garcia's ball dropping down in Riviera's 10th green bunker as Ryan Moore about to play: Sergio pulling off a recovery and par faced with no obvious opening along with a hanging bunker lie. And a three-iron in his hand.

His Northern Trust Open post-third round comments:

Q.  Have you ever had a better 4 than the one on 13?

SERGIO GARCÍA:  Yeah, I would put it in my top three.  I would say so. I've had some beauties I guess.

Q.  Your caddie said you had a 4‑iron out of the trap ‑‑

SERGIO GARCÍA:  3‑iron.

Q.  How would you describe the gap you had to hit?

SERGIO GARCÍA:  Unfortunately I had the TV tower, which if I would have been off the bunker, it would have been nice.  It would have given me a better angle.  But because I was in the bunker ‑‑  if I took full relief off the TV tower I was going to be up against the lip so I had pretty much no shot.

I probably had a couple yards, I would say between the TV tower and the trunk of the tree.  The difficult part about it was that I was in a little bit of a downslope in the bunker, ball a little bit above my feet, having to hit like a low, low cut that went underneath the branchs.  So it just clipped one little branch.

But I was thrilled to, I mean, I would have been happy with five, so four was a bonus.

Adam Sarson Tweeted a drawing to show off just how improbable the par was.

Artist's rendering of Sergio's par on the 13th at Riviera: pic.twitter.com/Gu6FFEOUQ1

— Adam Sarson (@Adam_Sarson) February 21, 2015

The video:

Comments

[LA John]

1. How did he end up in the bunker?

2. How did he thread that needle?

3. Some brave folks looking down that barrel.

Great tournament.

[Center Cut]

Trying to think of any of the young guys who would even contemplate that....struggling.

[johnnnycz]

He's got game...oodles of it.

[Cheeks]

These guys are good.

[Pro from Dover]

Johnnnycz And Oodles.......agree

Center Cut +1

LA John #3 +1

The shot out the greenside bunker @ #10 green to #13 was unbelievable.....insane to hit the 3-iron out of the bunker, with a slight down-hill lie! WOW!

I loved his comment post-round, "With all respect to Seve, my round was a little like one of his......"

His tweet referenced Seve as well "Thrilled with my 68 today with a couple of SEVE flashes on 13 and 15! Ha ha. Let's shoot another under par round tomorrow and see what happens."

[BDF]

I'm always amazed at how a guy can miss a 50 yard wide fairway from a tee can hit a 2 yard hole from a crappy lie. Wow.

[Dick Mahoon]

We missed his chip up to the hole which must have been shite but we didn't see that bit did we....

DM

[Principal's Nose]

We also missed the 15' putt he made for par Dick Mahoon.......what is your point?

[Johnnnycz]

@Pro: amazing how some players can hit the hard recovery shots better than a boring bread&butter shot from perfect yardage to an easy pin.

I suffer from that malady unfortunately. Might be my add or aspergers or ???

Give me a flat shot to a middle pin and I'll be 20ft away usually....tuck the pin and throw in some trees to avoid coupled with a funky stance and I'm usually closer to the hole lol!!

[Pro from Dover]

Johnnnycz You think there is too much "thinking" about making the perfect swing, etc. when we are in the middle of the fairway with an unobstructed view of the pin? LOL I hate straight holes BTW, I like holes that turn R to L, or L to R......sort of helps me visual how to move the little sphere.

Sometimes when we are hitting the "rescue shot" out of the jungle we sort of think, "noting to lose here".... and play instinctively....ya think?

I know what you mean. Garcia has so much talent as a ball striker. Really surprised he has not bagged multiple majors. Guess the putter really held him back for a period of time during his career, but appears he has that under control now. Really like to watch him play and the sound of his irons - wow, he really compresses the golf ball off of those irons.

[Johnnnycz]

@Pro: You nailed it.

Payne Stewart once stated he suffers from same malady. Mediocre results on easy shots...but give him a challenging situation and he'd hit a great shot.

[digsouth]

I also can duff the 125 middle of the fairway, but punch a 6 under a tree and over a bunker to 6 feet. I think it is like playing in the wind- you HAVE to concentrate and make the shot.

I love fades low and with stuff in the way. To heck with coming out sideways!

[Pro from Dover]

Just saying....Dustin Johnson's 7 month "lay-off" did have the same ill effects that Tigers lay off did on his game..........

[Pro from Dover]

meant to read "did not have the same effect" sorry