Resurgent Mark James praises Garcia

Ryder Cup captain Mark James spoke of his admiration for 19-year-old Sergio Garcia today - after giving a performance which the young Spaniard would love to emulate.

James closed the United States PGA championship at Medinah near Chicago with a five under par 67. But having started the day joint 69th of the 74 players he still finished well down the field on the two over par mark of 290.

Garcia resumed the final major of the millennium in joint third spot on nine under, two behind joint leaders Tiger Woods and Mike Weir, and on course to become the youngest player in Ryder Cup history next month in Boston.

"He is obviously a huge talent and it looks like he is going to be around for a long time to come," said James, who names his two wild card selections after the final counting event in Munich next Sunday.

"The way he has played in the States is just incredible. To play so maturely (at such an age) is unusual.

"I basically can't see any weakness."

James himself went into the USPGA in 13th place in the points race, one position behind Garcia.

The 45-year-old from Burley in Wharfedale, near Ilkley, could still qualify himself next week - but only then will he reveal whether he intends to play at Brookline in six weeks' time and hand over the captaincy.

All he has said so far is that he will not attempt both jobs.

Garcia probably needed to stay joint third to make an automatic cup place certain, but his sights today, of course, were on becoming the youngest winner of a major since Young Tom Morris way back in 1870.

James was also asked about Nick Faldo's chances of a wild card, but chose to keep things close to his chest on that as well.

But he did say: "Nick knows he has had to show some form. I would love a on-form Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros, Ian Woosnam, even Peter Oosterhuis."

Oosterhuis, a Ryder Cup star when James made his own debut, is now a television commentator.

"There comes a time when everyone has to move over and if that is this year then so be it. That's life," said James.

"Sergio is the only one (of Europe's 23-strong contingent) who has moved further forward this week. Nobody else has done anything particularly noteworthy.

"This tournament is some use to me, but I would not put too much stock in one tournament. I would not like to be judged on one tournament."

As he spoke Faldo was battling back from the disappointment of his third round 75 and a double bogey five at the short second, where he dumped his tee shot into the lake short of the green.

Faldo, desperate to win a record 12th cap against the Americans and believing his game is returning just in time to warrant a wild card, birdied the fifth, sixth and seventh to get back to level par.

Meanwhile, Scotland's Andrew Coltart, likely to be displaced by Garcia at 10th in the table, repaired some of the damage of his Saturday 80, but a 71 still left him nine over and near the rear of the field.

Bernhard Langer, 11th in the standings, was six over with three to play, while Swede Jesper Parnevik, expected to be handed a wild card, was one under after four.

As for the American team, Jeff Maggert was at home waiting to see if he could hang on to the 10th and last automatic place, having missed the halfway cut at Medinah.

The odds were on him doing so, in which case captain Ben Crenshaw is likely to name Tom Lehman and either Fred Couples or Lee Janzen as his two wild cards tomorrow.

Woods went over the first green, but played a great chip to less than a yard to match Weir's more solid par four.

Ahead of them, Garcia went into the lake at the second but single-putted with his second ball to drop only one stroke.

But, at eight under, he was now three behind Woods and Weir.

Colin Montgomerie felt he had left himself too much ground to make up at four under overnight, but birdies at the third and fifth brought him into a tie for seventh place at six under.

Westwood also birdied the fifth to stand five under, but the damage of his third round 74 had still to be repaired.

Faldo had his second double bogey of the day at the short 13th and was two over alongside James as a result.

Woods did not make the same mistake as Faldo and Garcia on the second and then holed from 12 feet for a birdie two which, with Weir three-putting for bogey, put him two clear at 12 under.