AUGUSTA – Sergio Garcia, who craves to beat Tiger Woods and become champion of a major, said again yesterday that he believes the gap between Woods and the next group of great players is closing.

“No doubt about it,” Garcia said. “There’s no doubt he’s a great player and that’s why he’s won so many majors and so many tournaments in so little time. But I strongly think that the gap is closing, and we’re trying to make it even closer.

“I feel like I’m ready to win a major.”

Garcia stands at 7-under, four shots behind Woods entering today’s final round, so he’s got some work to do.

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Brad Faxon carded the first eagle on No. 11 in 41 years when he holed out a 6 iron from 193 yards yesterday. Jerry Kelly carded an eagle on the par-5 13th.

Yesterday was the five-year anniversary of Woods’ record-shattering 1997 Masters win.

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Big names that ended up on the wrong end of the cut line: David Duval (4-over), who finished second last year, in a tie for third in 2000, a tie for sixth in 1999 and a tie for second in 1998, Jim Furyk (6-over), 1998 champion Mark O’Meara (5-over), two-time U.S. Open winner Lee Janzen (5-over) and Mark Calcavecchia, who four-putted No. 15 after having a makable eagle putt.

On the plus-side of the cut was Scott Verplank, who made it through after missing it in his previous six tries, and two-time winner Tom Watson (3-over) made the cut after missing it the previous four years.

Past champions Bernhard Langer (19 in a row) and Fred Couples (18) extended their respective streaks for making the Masters cut.

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Poor Nick Faldo. In a span of two days, each of his playing partners withdrew from the Masters. First it was Hal Sutton, who withdrew before the first round because of a pulled muscle in his right side, and then before Friday’s second round, his other partner, Frank Lickliter, withdrew because of a hand injury.

“Don’t touch me,” Faldo joked yesterday after finishing his second round at 2-under. “Something might happen to you.”