Young but wily Garcia riding wave of experience

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Sergio Garcia hadn't won in three years prior to his victory at TPC Sawgrass this month. He picked a big one to come back with.

DUBLIN, Ohio -- At home in Borriol, Spain, Sergio Garcia tried to do things like a "normal person."

He hung out with friends, played some tennis, went to the movies. He also hosted a charity golf tournament.

And, of course, he worked on his golf game. His last start ended with his biggest victory in his 10 years on the PGA TOUR -- THE PLAYERS Championship -- but that hardly meant that he didn't have things to work on to try, as he said, "to get ready for this big stretch of three tournaments that I have coming."

That big stretch begins Thursday at Muirfield Village Golf Club with the Memorial Tournament presented by Morgan Stanley and culminates in La Jolla, Calif., at the 108th U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course. Teeing it up for the first time since he defeated Paul Goydos in a playoff to capture THE PLAYERS at TPC Sawgrass, Garcia is not only basking in the glow of his first victory in three years, but also in a brighter spotlight because of the prestige associated with besting one of golf's strongest fields.

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Sergio Garcia hopes he has opened the door to more big wins in the future.

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If added pressure is involved in the equation, El Niņo isn't feeling it.

"At the end of the day, I know what I'm capable of doing and that to me, that's the most important thing," he said. "Depending upon how I feel in my game, I know if I'm a favorite at winning an event or not. So that's the only thing I need to focus on. Make sure that I get ... not only to the U.S. Open, but to this week and to next week with the best chance possible of winning the event and then be able to perform and do it."

Garcia, the No. 10 player in the Official World Golf Ranking, is making his eighth start at the Memorial Tournament, which is hosted by Jack Nicklaus and contested on a course the Golden Bear designed. His best finish on the par-72 layout that measures 7,366 yards is a tie for second in 2001, when he and Paul Azinger shot 10-under 278 and found themselves a distant seven shots behind Tiger Woods.

"It wasn't a very good chance then [of winning]," he said with a smile. "I was in close position, but I wasn't close."

Woods, the No. 1 player in the world and the only three-time winner of the Memorial, isn't in this week's field; his recovery from post-Masters knee surgery is coming along slowly. He wasn't in the field at THE PLAYERS, either, and Garcia jokingly thanked him for skipping it.

That made his friends, who gave him a couple of hearty conquering hero receptions, laugh. "They thought that was great," he said.

And Garcia has good friends. They stayed awake into the wee hours watching the taut finish in THE PLAYERS, which Garcia won on the first extra hole.

"They were definitely excited, there's no doubt about that," he said. "They were just thrilled for me. They know how hard I've worked on my game. They were very excited that I got a big win under my belt. And they just ... hoping and wishing for me to keep going, and they're all very supportive, so it's great to see that your country looks at you.

"I was actually impressed how many people told me, 'I can't believe I spent until 2 in the morning watching you play' and this and that. So, that always makes you feel good."

The Memorial Tournament founder and host said he would be surprised if Garcia or No. 2 Phil Mickelson, who won last week at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, didn't follow up with another strong showing at Muirfield Village.

"Phil played well last week; he won. And that's a good win for him. It gives him a lot of confidence," Nicklaus said. "Sergio came off THE PLAYERS Championship, and so obviously, it's going to give Sergio a lot of confidence. But I think that's the nature of it. I've always said that winning breeds winning."

El Niņo definitely thinks he can ride the tailwind of his latest triumph, his seventh on the PGA TOUR, to go along with 10 international victories.

"I think that anytime you're playing well coming into an event, particularly a golf course that challenges you, you're going to be certainly in a lot better position and have a lot more confidence in what you're doing," Garcia said. "I'm definitely rested, so I feel good about that. I feel like every part of my game is getting better every week. ... I definitely feel like ... if nothing weird happens, I should be up there, and at least I should have a chance at winning this tournament."

Garcia is one of nine players under 30 years old to win on the PGA TOUR this year. But he might be considered the old, wily veteran of the group. He didn't try to dispel the notion.

"I'm 28, but this is my 10th season. So I do feel like a little bit of a veteran," he said. "Kind of a veteran in a young body, if you might say that, which is good. I've learned a lot of things. I learned from a lot of good and bad experiences. And I think all of them have helped me become a better player."

Which he showed at THE PLAYERS.