Sergio sees the positives

Spaniard pleased with form despite another agonising defeat

Last updated: 26th August 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Sergio sees the positives

Garcia: Play-off defeat

I think the most important thing about it is that I keep putting myself in a good position, and unfortunately somebody just seems to be able to come up with some spectacular playing when I'm out there on top.

Sergio Garcia
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Sergio Garcia was quick to see the positives despite more final-day heartbreak at The Barclays over the weekend.

Just two weeks after he was pipped to the USPGA crown by Padraig Harrington, the Spaniard came up just short again at the Ridgewood Country Club as he was beaten in a play-off by Vijay Singh in the first of the four FedEx Cup play-off events.

Garcia looked odds on to win the tournament for a third time in his career when, at the first extra hole, he sunk a 27-foot putt to leave Singh needing to do likewise from 25 to stay alive.

Belying his reputation as a frail putter, the Fijian duly did so and then made a birdie-four down the second play-off hole, the 17th, which Garcia was unable to match.

Although it was another painful defeat, the Spaniard refused to be too downcast and insisted he was pleased to have put himself in contention once again.

"Well, it happens," he said afterwards. "What can you do? You can't take it the wrong way.

"I think the most important thing about it is that I keep putting myself in a good position, and unfortunately somebody just seems to be able to come up with some spectacular playing when I'm out there on top.

"I hit a great putt (at the first extra hole), it just snuck in on the left side, and I knew at that time that obviously Vijay still had to putt, but I had a chance, and for sure, I wasn't going to be out of the play-off.

"I knew it had a chance (Singh's putt). I mean, if he's 10 feet away, you know that he's probably going to make it.

"Obviously he still had a shot at it. The same way I made it, he can do it. And he did.

"And then he followed it unbelievably, holed that putt after I did, and then he just played a really solid 17th hole. You know, again, he did it in regulation and he played it pretty much exactly the same way in the play-off.

"So unfortunately it just didn't work out. He just hit two great shots on 17."

"I felt like I played solid all week. I got a couple of bad breaks here and there that maybe would have made the difference, and a couple of good ones here and there, too.

"At the end of the day, I had a shot. That's what you ask yourself for, and Vijay just came out with the goods and you've just got to give hats off to him."

Silver lining

The silver lining for Garcia is that his performance in New Jersey puts him right in contention for the FedEx Cup and the $10 million end of season bonus it offers.

Garcia is now in second place in the FedEx Cup points standings, behind Singh, and is now looking to sign off his season in style.

"I'm looking forward to it," Garcia said. "Obviously this was a good start. Not the perfect start, obviously, but it was a very good start.

"I'm looking forward to keeping moving in the right direction, keep giving myself chances in the next two weeks, and then get ready for the Ryder Cup and see if we can have a good Tour Championship and at least have a chance at winning the FedEx Cup."