Garcia holds his nerve for Players title

Published on Monday 12 May 2008 10:43

SERGIO GARCIA became only the second European to win the Players Championship when he beat American Paul Goydos at the first extra hole.

Twenty one years after Scot Sandy Lyle won in the event's only other play-off, Garcia won it at the very same hole, the famous par-three 17th, with its island green, at the Sawgrass TPC.

After Goydos found the water with his tee shot, the door was open for Garcia. And the Spaniard was not about to let it shut, punching a wedge to the middle of the green, and watching in delight as his ball fed down to the hole, nestling only four feet away.

After Goydos, from the drop zone, missed his unlikely par attempt, Garcia, 28, could celebrate the end of a drought of nearly three years, tapping in for a par.

He collects more than 500,000 for his seventh victory on the United States PGA Tour.

"A lot of hard work is starting to pay off," Garcia said, before joking: "I want to thank Tiger (Woods) for not being here. That always makes it a little bit easier."

Earlier, Garcia made a clutch par at the final regulation hole to stay alive. The par-four 18th was the toughest hole on the course on an extremely windy day, and Garcia found a poor lie when his tee shot drifted into the right rough.

He advanced his second shot to within 50 yards of the pin, and then pitched to seven feet.

It was a critically important putt and, given his problems on the greens over the past few years, there were few who would have put any money on his making it.

But make it he did and shot a closing 71, Goydos following with a 74, as they finished at five-under 283, one stroke ahead of American Jeff Quinney (70).