Garcia savours overdue win

Spaniard soars into Ryder Cup frame after Players victory

Last updated: 12th May 2008

sergio garcia players championship

Garcia: Barren spell over

I thought, all the hard work, this is what it's worth and it made me feel good for everybody that matters to me.

Sergio Garcia
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Sergio Garcia believes his hard work has eventually been rewarded after he ended a three-year dry spell by winning the prestigious Players Championship.

Players glory for Garcia

After a heartbreaking play-off loss at the 2007 Open to Padraig Harrington, Garcia has gone virtually unnoticed in the last 10 months - predominantly due to his inability with the putter.

And when Garcia was left a seven-foot par putt at the final regulation hole at the Sawgrass TPC, not too many people would have backed him to make it.

However, the 28-year-old held his nerve to complete the final round with a 71 which proved good enough to force a play-off after leader Paul Goydos bogeyed the last to sign for a 74.

"You never know what's going to happen, but I felt like I was going to make it," said Garcia of his clutch putt. "Everything was calm, every single part of my body.

Decisive

"I had a little grin when I was going to the ball, because I felt so calm. I was breathing nicely, I got over the putt, one quick look, and it was nice to see it go in.

"I thought, all the hard work, this is what it's worth and it made me feel good for everybody that matters to me."

The decisive moment of the first hole play-off came when Goydos could only watch with anguish as he saw his wedge shot drift into the water on the 17th.

Garcia stuck to dry land in blustery conditions to claim his first victory in nearly three years and propel himself into third place on the world points list - enhancing his prospects of a Ryder Cup place.

"I was just praying I didn't get any weird gusts of wind," said Garcia.

"It was one of the hardest days of golf. I was playing well, but it was so difficult. I hit so many shots that I thought were perfect and they didn't even smell the green."

Win majors

Goydos heaped praise on the Spaniard, admitting it was no disgrace to lose to such a quality player.

"Sergio played like a champion," Goydos said. "He played great golf today, one under par. Sergio is a potential top two or three player in the world. He's still a kid.

"He's got a long way to go in his career and he's going to win a lot of tournaments and he's going to win major championships.

"I got to do a lot of things and this is why we play, to have a chance today.

"I'm reasonably pleased with how I played again, two over par after three and I played the last 15 holes on a very tough day in even par. I got beat; that's golf."