Sergio Garcia outlasted a defiant Paul Goydos to win the Players Championship at the first extra hole of a playoff and perhaps put to bed the memories of his playoff loss to Padraig Harrington at last year’s Open Championship.

Not that a win in this event will ever replace the opportunity to win a major but Garcia highlighted that when all parts of his game are in sync he is capable of beating any field, anywhere.

Fields don’t get much stronger than this with the notable exception of Tiger Woods’ absence. However, it was not only a strong field that Garcia defeated today but one of the most demanding golf courses and some of the most difficult conditions played all year.

Garcia was brilliant all week from tee to green but that is only part of the equation in any tournament. The encouraging thing for Garcia this week was that although he did not putt well on Friday and Saturday he holed the important putts when he needed to today more especially the 7 foot par save at the last to keep the door open for the playoff.

There were also other memorable putts from the Spaniard on the final day, none more so than the bomb he holed after pulling his second at the par 4 14th. When he holed that from nearly 50 feet he had moved to 5 under and although still within two of Goydos at that point, it appeared the momentum had swung back in Garcia’s favour.

Garcia parred the dangerous 17th and then drove it in the right hand rough as Goydos stepped up to the tee at 17. The leader found the green and two putted for par while ahead, Garcia was forced to lay up from the thick rough at the last. Garcia pitched to 7 feet and then holed the all important putt to remain at 5 under and one behind Goydos.

Goydos missed the fairway at the last and he too made the decision to lay up short of the green and hope for a pitch and putt from 55 yards. His pitch stopped 12 feet short and when he either misread or mishit the putt it was playoff time.

Jeff Quinney finished third after at one stage getting himself into a share of the lead when he two putted for birdie at the 16th. Quinney would bogey the last after he too had found the right hand rough, leaving the stage to Garcia and Goydos.

The first playoff hole would be the 17th and when Goydos caught an untimely gust of wind and ballooned his pitching wedge high and into the lake short of his target, all Garcia needed to do was find the green and it would be all but over.

Finding the green at the 17th hole at the TPC Sawgrass in those circumstances is not the easiest of things to do but not only did the 28-year-old find the green, he finished four feet from the hole. There was nothing Goydos could do, his third finishing 12 feet behind the hole and when he missed, Garcia had plenty of shots to play with. He missed his short putt but it didn’t matter as the title was his, twelve months after finishing runner up last year.

For Goydos it was no doubt a bitter blow but the manner in which he handled the loss was impressive. He was gracious in defeat suggesting Garcia had played the best all week. That may or may not have been the case as they both finished on the same score and that is the ultimate aim of the game but he endeared himself with his remarks especially when the prospect of a US$1.7 million winner’s cheque had been snatched away from him.

Briny Baird was alone in 4th while Stephen Ames continued his good record at Sawgrass with a 5th.

The best of the Australians was Stuart Appleby, who just a couple of weeks after minor knee surgery, was able to finish 15th despite a last round of 76. Mind you 76 was not a bad score on a day where winds swept across the TPC layout at up to 40 miles an hour.

Steve Elkington, Nick O’Hern and Aaron Baddeley finished 32nd, Robert Allenby was 42nd while Adam Scott inexplicably fell away with a final round of 80 to finish 54th.

The PGA Tour now heads north west to Atlanta for this week’s AT&T Championship.

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