Garcia Takes A Major Step Forward
Published: May 12, 2008
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PONTE VEDRA BEACH - When The Players Championship began opening-round play Thursday at TPC Sawgrass, Paul Goydos was the first player to find water at the never-popular, ball-gobbling No. 17 par-3 island green.
Sunday evening, after the tournament shifted into a playoff, he also become the last, opening the door for Sergio Garcia to snatch a victory that was as dramatic as it was difficult to comprehend.
Almost everything the unknown 16-year journeyman did between his first and final water balls was a storybook script. Yet, on a wind-whipped day, he was outlasted by Garcia, who best toughed out windy conditions with a 1-under 71.
"It's not a major but it definitely feels like one," Garcia said. "It was one of the hardest days of golf - and I was playing well. It was so difficult. There were so many things you couldn't control."
Or explain.
How did Goydos lose? He led the field in putting for the week. He made a 50-foot putt at No. 4 and holed a 35-yard wedge shot from deep rough at No. 10 for birdies. He birdied the par-5 16th to take a one-shot lead. He made par at 17. He had a 15-footer for par to win.
It did not fall.
Meanwhile, Garcia, who finished the week 69th in putting among 74 players who made the cut, rammed in a 7-footer on 18 to save par and force the playoff.
It would end quickly.
After finishing tied at 5 under through 72 holes, Goydos hit the first shot of the playoff short, a wedge that was slapped down by gusting winds only feet short of dry land. Cleared for landing, Garcia dropped his tee ball onto the middle of the green and watched it trickle to a stop 2 feet from the pin.
It would not matter that he missed the birdie putt. Garcia still kissed his putter.
"The only thing this tells me is to keep working hard and to believe in myself," he said. "When I do believe in myself, I think there's not a lot of guys out there that can beat me."
The victory, worth $1.17 million, ended an almost three-year winless streak by Garcia, but mainly underlined his talent as a ball striker. Despite needing 124 putts for the week, 18 more than Goydos, Garcia put together rounds of 66-73-73-71-283. Goydos, the only player with three under-par rounds after 54 holes, finished with a 74.
Jeff Quinney finished third, one shot out of the playoff after a 70.
With winds blowing consistently at 25 mph with gusts as high as 40, only four players finished the tournament under par, the second-fewest since the tournament moved to TPC Sawgrass in 1982.
Goydos, after his birdie at 16, held a one-shot lead with two holes to play, with Garcia and Quinney playing one group ahead.
All three golfers escaped No. 17 with pars, and each put tee shots at 18 into right rough, more than 220 yards out.
Garcia laid up to 54 yards, wedged his third shot to 7 feet and sank the par-saving putt, emphasized with a fist pump. Quinney powered a utility club over the green, into a back bunker and eliminated himself with bogey.
Minutes later, Goydos would punch out of the deep rough to 46 yards, setting up an up-and-in attempt that could have claimed his third career title.
"If I hadn't chunked it, it might have run up," Goydos said to his caddie as the shot stopped 15 feet from the pin.
His putt for par veered slightly to the right.
"I thought it was in," he said. "It was a decent read. I didn't hit a bad putt. It wasn't some hideous, ugly, normal putt I hit in those situations. Considering the situation, I though I handled it pretty well."
Back at 17 for the playoff, Goydos imagined hitting the same pitching wedge shot he did in regulation, one that hit the green 22 feet from the pin.
"It was obviously the same as we had before," he said. "I hit the same club. I tried to hit the exact same thing. But the wind stood it up a little bit. My experience told me it's not time to try to dink a 9-iron. It's time to stick with the shot you hit. I hit a really good shot there on hole 71. I hit not-quite-as-good a shot on hole 73."
Reporter Mick Elliott can be
reached at (813) 281-2534
