Watch Sergio Garcia hit a golf ball out of a tree
Remember the kite-eating tree in “Peanuts� You know, the tree that Charlie Brown’s kite landed in no matter where he started? Well, we finally have a sports corollary: Sergio Garcia and the golf-ball-eating tree.
Garcia was playing in the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando, Fla., when he hit hit his ball into a tree on the 10th fairway. Most golfers would take the penalty and re-hit, but not Garcia.
He climbed the tree and played the ball, hitting it backward and one-handed back to the middle of the fairway as the shocked crowd cheered.
“First I climbed [the tree] to identify the ball, and I saw I could hit it one-handed,†Garcia said. “Luckily, it went OK.â€
His playing partner, William McGirt, was suitably impressed.
“I looked over and Sergio is up in the air, and I’m trying to figure out what he’s going to do,†McGirt said. “He called for a club. He’s hugging the tree. And the ball comes flying out.â€
Unfortunately, Garcia injured his shoulder on the shot and had to withdraw from the rain-delayed tournament, which concludes today.
“It wasn’t an easy decision. I wanted to keep playing and finish the round and the tournament even though it was not my best day, but the soreness grew and I decided to pull back to avoid further injuries,†he said.
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