Five things I know

REMEMBER SERGIO?

Just when we had written off Sergio Garcia as part of golf’s elite, El Nino snapped a three-year winless streak in a big way. By emerging from the year’s best field at The Players, Garcia sent a signal that perhaps he is finally ready, at 28, to cash in on his world of talent. He also left an impression of apparent maturity: After struggling for years with his putter, he made a clutch par-saver at the 18th to force overtime with Paul Goydos. Such plays make it easier to forget Garcia’s 2007 British Open meltdown.

BACK? ANNIKA NEVER LEFT

When you’re the world’s No. 1, then go nearly a year without a win (albeit due to injury), doubts begin to creep in — unless your name is Annika Sorenstam. By romping to a seven-shot victory at the Michelob Ultra Open, the sizzling Swede won her third title in eight 2008 attempts. Reigning No. 1 Lorena Ochoa, who sat out a week after four wins in a row, has played less than stellar golf her past two outings. By winning handily, with Ochoa in the field, Sorenstam made “Who’s the best?” a real question again in her final season on tour.

CAN TOO PUTT

Yes, that was Sergio Garcia making six putts of seven feet or more on Sunday — including three to save par and a 46-foot bomb for birdie — after canning just four of that length the first three rounds of The Players. No magic, just a little time spent with putting wizard Stan Utley, who told Golf Channel that Garcia “found the stroke, now it has to hold up under pressure.” If Utley’s name sounds familiar, you might recall he revived Jay Haas’ putting game a couple of years ago. That turned out pretty well, too.

NO BELGIAN WAFFLING

Benedicte Toumpsin, USC’s blonde bomber from Belgium, did what no Gamecock women’s player had done since Siew-Ai Lim in 1995: win an NCAA East Regional individual title. And Toumpsin didn’t exactly do it against a bunch of no-names; she won by a shot over Duke’s Amanda Blumenherst, the two-time NCAA women’s player of the year. What’s next for USC, which tied for sixth in Athens, Ga., and new coach Kalen Anderson? The NCAA Championship (May 20-23) beckons.

MASTERS? WHAT MASTERS?

When U.S. Amateur and U.S. Amateur Public Links champion Colt Knost decided to forego an invitation to last month’s Masters in order to turn pro, then failed to get through PGA Tour Q-school, it was easy to criticize his choice. Not so much now after Knost shot a closing 65 Sunday to come from six shots back and win the Nationwide Tour’s Fort Smith Classic. The former SMU star will make it to the big tour, probably by next year; a trip to Augusta will come not too long after that.

— Bob Gillespie