Garcia wins HSBC to move to number two
BY Bruce Young | Asian Tour | 2008 HSBC Champions Tournament | Round Four | 11 Nov 2008
Sergio Garcia’s playoff victory in the weather delayed HSBC Champions event in Shanghai has moved him into the number two position in the world, his win against such a strong field moving him past Phil Mickelson and behind only Tiger Woods.
Garcia put paid to Ryder Cupper, Oliver Wilson’s chances of winning for the first time on the European Tour when he birdied the 2nd extra hole from 14 feet behind the hole at the par five after Wilson had missed from just outside that range.
Garcia has finished inside the top two in five of his last eight starts, his ever improving consistency the feature of what has been an outstanding season and one that included victory at the Players Championship.
Wilson has played the European Tour for four seasons now and although he has been six times runner up leading into this week’s event he had failed to secure that much sought after victory. He needed birdie at his final hole to finally get the monkey off his back but was unable to do so and matched Garcia’s total of 14 under after the Spaniard had birdied the last just a few minutes earlier.
It was tight battle throughout the morning’s play after the field had been required to return on the Sheshan Golf Club on Monday morning to complete the final round with many of the those in the final few groups in with a chance of victory.
Geoff Ogilvy did well in his first event since the BMW Championship in early September when he shared third with Peter Hanson.
The next best of the Australians after Ogilvy was Adam Scott who had his moments on the final morning but could not build momentum. He finished in a share of 6th, Andrew Bonhomme was 31st, Scott Strange 33rd, Rick Kulacz 41st, Scott Hend 48th, Mark Brown 53rd and David Gleeson 56th.
The European Tour’s next event is the Hong Kong Open in two weeks time while for the Asian Tour they are in Singapore this week for the lucrative Singapore Open.
