Sergio surges to lead at Deutsche

Associated Press

norton, mass.

Sergio Garcia opened with five birdies in seven holes, closed with an eagle, and wound up as the guy everyone was chasing Saturday at the Deutsche Bank Championship.

By everyone, that means 28 players within six shots of his lead with 36 holes to play. And somehow, that includes Phil Mickelson.

On another day of soft conditions and plenty of birdies on the TPC Boston, Garcia had a 7-under 64 during a cool, cloudy morning that stood up for the 36-hole lead when the long and wild afternoon was over. The Spaniard was at 13-under 129, one short of the tournament record. He had a one-shot lead over Roberto Castro and Henrik Stenson.

Tiger Woods, in the 1-2-3 grouping with Mickelson and Adam Scott that attracted a crowd standing three-deep in spots, made a 35-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole for a 67 and was among those within six shots of the lead.

Mickelson, however, stole the show with a 71.

“I was playing terrible, and I shot even par,” Mickelson said. “I could easily have shot myself out of the tournament.”

Lefty went on some kind of crazy ride, completely losing his swing during one stretch when he looked closer to hitting Rhode Island than hitting a fairway. He drove left into the hazard on No. 9, way right into the hazard on No. 10 and would have found another hazard on the par-3 11th except for hitting a tree.

He hit into the gallery to the left on No. 12 and into the gallery to the right on No. 13. His tee shot on the par-3 16th came up short and into the water for double bogey.

“It’s embarrassing to hit shots like that, and to have a bunch of people out there, playing with Tiger and having every shot exposed on TV ... you know, it’s embarrassing,” Mickelson said.