Sergio Garcia saves a bird during his final round at the U.S. Open

Published Jun. 19, 2016 5:33 p.m. ET

foxsports

Sergio Garcia put himself in contention to win his first career major championship with three birdies over his first nine holes Sunday, but he wasn't too zoned in not to notice a baby bird stuck on the ground in a heavily traveled walkway.

Garcia hit his tee shot at the par-3 8th hole into a greenside bunker, but holed his shot out of the sand to immediately atone for a bogey at the seventh.

The "fiery Spaniard" with a birdie from the sand on No. 8. #USOpen https://t.co/Tfx7ZQ3lGL
— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 19, 2016

As he was walking off the green, Garcia picked up a tiny bird and handed it off to a marshall.

.@TheSergioGarcia has collected three birdies through nine holes ... four if you count this one. #USOpen https://t.co/1ojiSoPwV5
— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 19, 2016

@TheSergioGarcia with two birdies on the same hole? ???
?????
— Emiliano Grillo (@GrilloEmiliano) June 19, 2016