US Open: Garcia keen to major

Sergio Garcia hopes a surge in confidence and a much-improved short game can propel him to US Open success.

Buoyed by his win at the Players' Championship, Garcia will take his shot at a first major championship when the tournament starts today at Torrey Pines.

The talented Spaniard won his seventh PGA Tour title at Sawgrass last month to break a three-year winless streak and prove he is a serious candidate at Torrey Pines.

"Winning the Players' is always something huge, and that gives you a lot of confidence, winning on a tough golf course and probably against the deepest field we play all year," Garcia said. "It's always important to win a big event, anytime you win one of those it gives you a little bit of extra confidence,'' Garcia said. "And the most important thing is when you're down the stretch you know you've done it before in a big event against a tough field on a difficult course, that definitely helps. I'm hoping to put good use to that.''

That win at Sawgrass was definitely a shot in the arm to Garcia, but it is not the only reason he feels better equipped to win his first major. His short game and putting, long a sore spot in regard to his overall game, have become a strong suit of late.

"I think my confidence with my short game is much greater than it's probably ever been," Garcia said. "It's a great feeling. The thing is when you are playing well but you're not making putts, it feels like there's a lot of pressure," Garcia said.

"If you are putting well, even if you are not playing well, you feel like as soon as you switch it over you're going to start making birdies instead of saving par."