AUSTIN, Texas — Walk-off and tee shot are not two phrases typically paired together.
But that’s exactly what happened on Friday when Sergio Garcia stepped to the tee on the fourth playoff hole in his match with Lee Westwood at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play event at Austin Country Club.
Garcia and Westwood were tied in Group 8 with two victories and a loss each, forcing the extra golf. The pair posted par on each of the first three playoff holes until Garcia — who now has a home in Austin with his wife Angela — knocked Westwood out of the tournament with one swing.
Sealed with an ACE.
@TheSergioGarcia is through to the Round of 16 with a HOLE-IN-ONE on the 4th. pic.twitter.com/5sGyh2U3fY
— WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play (@DellMatchPlay) March 26, 2021
Garcia, who is the 39th seed in the tournament, was understandably at a loss for words after the victory.
“I really don’t know what to say. Obviously, yeah, a hole-in-one is amazing. Lucky No. 13 for me. But you know, the two putts I made on 2 and 3, massive, to keep myself going,” Garcia said. “And then obviously the shot on 4, it’s a great shot, but then you get lucky that first of all it doesn’t hit the flag because it must have been very close to hitting the flag, and then it rolls back in.
“Obviously, I’m very happy about that. I’m sorry for Lee because I did a couple stupid things to him this week, the first day and today, but unfortunately one of us had to lose.”
Garcia has never won the WGC-Match Play, although he did reach the consolation match in 2010 and boasts a 33-24-1 overall record in the competition.
He said he struggled a little in his match with Matt Wallace — which forced the playoff with Westwood — due to pain in his foot.
“I had to take some Advil on the 6th hole, on the 6th green because the arch of my left foot was cramping and I was struggling to get through the ball,” he said. “Because of that I didn’t hit the ball as well as I did the other days. I didn’t hit it poorly, but I just didn’t hit it quite as well. I’m going to have to work on it because tomorrow hopefully is going to be a very long day, and I need my feet to be in perfect shape.”
Garcia, who will face 48th seed Mackenzie Hughes in Saturday’s Round of 16, said he was proud of gutting out the win.
“It was fine, and then I got to the locker, I put the shoes on, and all of a sudden I started cramping. I tried to stretch it and it just wouldn’t loosen up. I don’t know why,” he said.
“But we got through it, so that’s the most important thing. I think that showed a lot of heart out there with some of the putts I made on the playoff, and then obviously the shot on 4, and very happy with that.”
