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Sergio Garcia wins in Sawgrass playoff

Reuters - Monday, May 12

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida - Sergio Garcia won the biggest title of his career, and his first on the PGA Tour in three years, with a playoff victory over American Paul Goydos at the Players Championship on Sunday.

The Spaniard, who began the final round three strokes off the pace, triumphed at the first extra hole after hitting a superb tee shot to four feet at the treacherous par-three 17th.

Although the 28-year-old missed the birdie putt, his tap-in for par was good enough to sink Goydos who bogeyed the hole after his tee shot ended up in water short of the island green.

"It's just a lot of hard work that is starting to pay off," a beaming Garcia said in a greenside television interview after earning the winner's cheque for $1.71 million . "That's the most important thing.

"And I want to thank Tiger for not being here," he added with a broad grin. "That always makes things a little bit easier."

World number one Woods was a notable absentee at the event unofficially dubbed the fifth major as he recovers from knee surgery.

"Paul has been playing awesome all week and he hung in there so nicely," added Garcia, who set up his title bid with a burst of three birdies in four holes from the 11th.

"It was a really tough day. I thought he would get up and down on 18 and fortunately for me he didn't."

BRUTAL DAY

For much of a brutal final round in gusting winds, overnight leader Goydos appeared likely to win his third PGA Tour title.

He twice forged three strokes clear before fellow American Jeff Quinney and Garcia piled on the pressure over the difficult closing stretch.

Garcia briefly closed to within a stroke of the lead when he sank a 16-foot birdie putt at the 12th before slipping back with a bogey at the 13th, where he overshot the green off the tee.

Goydos reclaimed a three-stroke cushion when he struck a superb approach from the right rough to within three feet at the 12th to set up his third birdie of the day.

Garcia again cut the deficit by ramming in a 45-footer to birdie the 14th before ending up in a tie for the lead when Goydos bogeyed 14 and 15 after overshooting both greens with his approach shots.

The Spaniard wasted a golden opportunity to forge ahead when he missed a five-foot birdie putt at the par-five 16th. Seconds later, playing partner Quinney moved into a three-way tie for the lead with a two-putt birdie on the same hole.

Although Goydos edged ahead when he also birdied 16 after hitting a superb drive followed by a second shot to just off the back of the green, he missed a nine-footer to bogey the last and force the playoff.

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