The Hereford Times

Garcia wins Players Championship

1:25am Monday 12th May 2008

Sergio Garcia became just the second European to win the Players Championship after beating American Paul Goydos at the first extra hole on Sunday.

Twenty-one years after Scotland's Sandy Lyle won in the event's only other play-off, the 28-year-old Spaniard won the title at the very same hole, the famous par-three island green 17th.

After Goydos found the water with his tee shot, Garcia punched a wedge to the middle of the green and watched 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 could celebrate the end to a drought of nearly three years after tapping in for a par to collect US dollar 1.71 million for his seventh victory on the USPGA Tour.

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 before holing the pressure putt to card a final round 71.

Goydos, playing in the group behind, also found the right rough and bunted his ball down to within 50 yards of the hole.

But with the tournament on the line, he hit a poor pitch, catching it a little fat and coming up 14 feet short.

With Garcia watching from the scoring room, Goydos missed his chance to win it in regulation with his putt drifting to the right before signing for a final round 74 to finish tied with Garcia at five-under-par.

American Jeff Quinney carded a final round 70, but bogeyed the last to miss the play-off after his approach shot found the back bunker.