Sergio Garcia
For Sergio Garcia, it was his first PGA TOUR round in seven months, and he had few complaints. Garcia played bogey-free with an opening round of 68, as did 17-year-old Matteo Manassero.
SERGIO GARCÍA: Obviously it was a shame that I didn't birdie some of the holes on the back nine. I feel like I'm hitting some good shots and some good putts. But overall, I think it was very good. Bogey-free round on this course is never a bad thing.
Q. Had you been in the States since the PGA at all?
SERGIO GARCÍA: I have, yeah. I was here in new year's for about ten days in Miami.
Q. Just vacationing?
SERGIO GARCÍA: Yeah.
Q. Doral?
SERGIO GARCÍA: No. (Laughter) I was vacationing. I wasn't playing golf.
Q. It's not vacation, is it, if you're playing golf?
SERGIO GARCÍA: Obviously not. (Laughter).
Q. How did Boy Wonder play?
SERGIO GARCÍA: Good. He can play.
Q. What do you like about his game; did he win your tournament?
SERGIO GARCÍA: Yes, last year.
Q. You've seen plenty of him.
SERGIO GARCÍA: I've played with him before. He's a great kid, and wonderful player. He's just very consistent, good short game. He doesn't miss a lot of shots. He can do with a little bit more distance obviously I guess, but you know, the way he plays is fine. It would be nice if he could hit it farther, but --
Q. He's only 17.
SERGIO GARCÍA: He's already very tall. He's been like that for two years. But I hope that he doesn't change his game just to try to hit it farther, because you know, it could be a problem.
Q. You can't get back to the top of the hill in one round but do you think it was important for you to just shoot something under par today and feel like there's progress being made toward doing something in this tournament?
SERGIO GARCÍA: Like I told you the other day, it was positive for me, the Middle East, the way I played. I think that I saw a lot of good things, like today, I saw a lot of good things out there, a couple of shots here and there.
But overall, it felt like it was very consistent. I was a little bit nervous, because of getting started and everything, but that's a good thing. That's what you -- that shows you that you're trying and that you want to do well.
Every tournament, we are nervous, but obviously when you haven't been here for it a while, and you are trying to get back into your own game you always have a little bit of doubts in your head.
So you kind of feel a little bit, but it's good. Like I said, the good thing about it, is that means I'm going on the right track. I care about what I'm doing, and if I didn't care at all, I probably wouldn't even feel it.
