Sergio Garcia sees off Paul Goydos in Sawgrass playoff

By Mark Lamport-Stokes

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida (Reuters) - 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 (Woods) 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."  Continued...