Sergio Garcia is 41 now, two fewer years than strokes Rory McIlroy needed to navigate his nightmarish first nine holes Thursday at TPC Sawgrass.
While many of the world’s best golfers floundered to open the Players Championship, Garcia barely broke a sweat during a tidy, 7-under par 65 to grab a two-shot lead over Brian Harman and distance himself three shots from fellow internationals Matthew Fitzpatrick, Shane Lowry and Corey Conners.
The golfer still known as “El Niño” has flecks of gray in his stubble and a deep reserve of scar tissue built up over the years.