Garcia surges to lead of Wyndham tourney

Associated Press

GREENSBORO, N.C.

No lead is ever really safe at birdie-friendly Sedgefield Country Club. The last time Sergio Garcia played here, he learned that the hard way.

Garcia shot a 4-under 66 on Saturday to take the lead at 14-under 196 after three rounds at the Wyndham Championship.

It’s a familiar spot for the Spaniard, who shared the third-round lead in 2009 but wound up finishing fourth after falling a stroke shy of a three-man playoff.

“Eighteen pars are not going to win it,” Garcia said. “You have to make some birdies out there.

“I don’t have a number. I’m not going to say I need to shoot 4 under, 5 under, or whatever. Someone might go out and shoot 9 under, and 5 under’s not good enough.”

Tim Clark and Bud Cauley were a stroke back, and Jason Dufner, Harris English and Carl Pettersson were at 12 under in the last event before the FedEx Cup playoffs.

Dufner shot a 63 — the day’s best round. Cauley had a 66, Clark shot a 67, and English and Pettersson had 68s.

Garcia — whose second-round 63 marked his best PGA Tour round in a decade — made a move with consecutive birdies midway through the back nine that briefly helped him leapfrog his playing partner, Clark.

Garcia plopped his tee shot 4 feet from the flagstick on the par-3 12th and tapped in, then followed that with a birdie on No. 13 to move to 14 under. Then, after just his second bogey of the tournament, he bounced back with a birdie on No. 15.

If he can keep it rolling for one more round, he might claim his first win on the tour since 2008 — and strengthen his chances to make the European Ryder Cup team.

“Winning means a lot, no matter what,” Garcia said.