PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. _ Sergio Garcia arrived at TPC Sawgrass' signature 17th hole amid a languishing round and with mixed bag of success during his career at the par-3 island green.
Garcia added another wild chapter when his 52-degree wedge shot from 123 yards landed six feet shy of the pin, one-hopped inches past the hole and spun back into the cup for an ace as the crowd erupted.
"I hit a good shot, but it can go there, it can go three yards past. It can do anything," Garcia said. "It was nice to see it bounce and kind of spin back into the hole. Maybe because I needed it after the start I had."
Playing his first tournament since his April 9 win at the Masters, Garcia was 4-over par through six holes. The 17th-hole ace helped him post a 1-over par 73 _ six strokes behind leaders William McGirt and MacKenzie Hughes.
"At least we were able to salvage a round there at the end that," he said.
Garcia said the ace was his 12th, including five in competition.
The 17th hole delivers drama every year, and Garcia has been in the middle of his share of it.
Garcia won the 2008 Players with a par on 17th hole to defeat Paul Goydos in a playoff. Since 2003, no player has more birdies on the hole than Garcia's 13.
But tied with Tiger Woods with two holes remaining in 2013, Garcia took aim at the flag on 17 and dumped two balls in the water on his way to a quadruple-bogey 7.
"We all know what 17 can do," he said. "It's tricky. It's going to be a test throughout the whole week."
