Garcia lands biggest title of career at Sawgrass

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 par was good enough to sink Goydos who double-bogeyed after his tee shot found water short of the island green.

The pair had finished the 72 regulation holes at five-under-par 283, journeyman Goydos missing a nine-footer to bogey the last for a 74 and Garcia closing with a 71.

"This is huge for me and I'm sure it will be huge for everybody back at home," Garcia told reporters after earning the winner's cheque for $1.71 million and becoming the first European champion since Britain's Sandy Lyle in 1987.

"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 missed the event unofficially dubbed the fifth major as he recovers from knee surgery.

"It was a very, very hard day," said Garcia, referring to swirling winds at the Tournament Players Club at Sawgrass. "It was probably even harder than the final round at the British Open last year.