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Spaniard Sergio Garcia Takes
Players Championship Title
By Kai Sandvig, Business Editor
Posted May 12, 2008
Spain’s Sergio Garcia won his first major at The
Players Championship on Sunday by defeating Paul Goydos of
the US in a sudden death playoff.
Garcia birdied three of the last nine holes before making a
clutch par putt on the 18th hole to remain one stroke
behind Goydos at 5-under. Goydos led at 6-under until the
final hole, a wicked par-4 with an intimidating water hazard
to the left, but missed his par putt to secure the win and
would drop into a tie with Garcia.
The sudden death playoff fell upon TPC Sawgrass’s signature
17th
hole, a perilous par-3 with a tee box and a green 130 yards
away, completely surrounded by water hazard. Goydos would
drop his tee shot into the drink while Garcia would place
his about three feet away from the pin after a bit of help
from the gusting winds that had tested players all day on
Sunday.
“It’s been a lot of work,” Garcia told the Associated Press
after his win. “It feels like the last three years I’ve been
playing well. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to come
around and win. This week, I played so nicely. It felt like
everything was so hard. I’m just thrilled the week is over
and I managed to finish on top.”
Garcia, 28, is the first European golfer to win The Players
Championship since Scotsman Sandy Lyle won the Tournament
Players Championship in 1987. Garcia will take home $1.7
million for his victory.
Swede Henrik Stenson tied for tenth and Championship Tour
participant, the German Bernhard Langer, placed in a tie for
fifteenth.
Kai Sandvig can be reached at
kaisandvig@europeanweekly.net
©
2007 All content property of European Weekly unless where
otherwise accredited
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