SAN DIEGO, California, 30 July 2003 — Sergio Garcia sank a 20-foot eagle putt on the 16th hole on Monday as he and teammate Phil Mickelson posted a 3 and 1 match play victory over Tiger Woods and Ernie Els in the Battle of the Bridges.
After Els hit his second shot into the water on the par-5, 571-yard 16th, Mickelson and Garcia hit their second shots onto the green.
Woods put his second shot into a greenside bunker but got his sand shot onto the green. Mickelson missed his eagle attempt, setting up Garcia’s pivotal putt.
The teams had halved the previous seven holes but Garcia’s eagle put his team two holes ahead with two to play.
“I just try to be myself,” Garcia said. “When you’re out there with three guys like this, it is fun to play. It is the way I feel more comfortable.”
“They both played solid,” Woods said of Garcia and Mickelson. “Sergio hit three big shots on 16. They had two looks at birdie on almost every hole.”
Mickelson was conceded his short birdie putt on the 17th hole to close out the match after Woods and Els missed their birdie attempts. Garcia and Mickelson finished their 17 holes 10-under par while Woods and Els finished 7-under par.
Garcia and Mickelson each earned $600,000 with their win and each will donate $100,000 to a designated charity.
Woods and Els earned $250,000 each and will give $50,000 to their favorite charity.
“We didn’t get off to a good start,” Woods said. “We were down after the first hole and we never could get back to level.”
Garcia and Mickelson are winless on Tour this year. “This definitely helps our confidence a little bit,” Garcia added.
Mickelson’s 12-foot birdie putt at the opening hole got his team off to a quick start they never relinquished.
Garcia sank an eight-foot birdie putt at the third hole to extend their lead to 2-up. Garcia extended his team’s lead to three holes with a winding 15-foot birdie putt at the sixth hole.
“In an 18 hole match it’s tough to get behind three holes so quickly,” Els said. “We were under the gun and we were having to make putts to tie all afternoon.”
Woods was conceded a birdie on the seventh hole after his eagle attempt was inches away. Mickelson and Garcia both missed short birdie putts prior to the concession.
Woods closed to within 1-down with a two-foot birdie putt on the par-3, eighth hole. “I had three birdie putts on the back nine that I should have made,” Woods said. “I was struggling with speed putts all evening. It seemed they were right but I kept leaving them short.”
