Garcia ended the longest victory drought of his career by making a clutch par putt to force a playoff and hitting the island-green 17th on the first extra hole to defeat Paul Goydos in The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass.

"It's been a lot of work," Garcia said, clutching the crystal trophy. "It feels like the last three years, I've been playing well. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to come around and win. This week, I played so nicely. It felt like everything was so hard. I'm just thrilled the week is over and I managed to finish on top."

Garcia and Goydos finished at 5-under 283.

Haunted by putting problems that kept him without a victory for the last three years and 53 PGA Tour events, Garcia came up with a 45-foot birdie on the 14th to get back in the game and a seven-foot par putt on the 18th hole for a 1-under 71.

Goydos, playing in the final group, missed a 15-foot par putt for the win on the last hole. He closed with a 74.

It was the first playoff at The Players since 1987, and the first time the PGA Tour opted to start it on the most notorious par 3 in golf. The shot was only 128 yards, but in wind that blasted 30 m.p.h. throughout the day, to a green surrounded by water.

Garcia, a 28-year-old Spaniard, earned $1.71 million from the richest purse in golf and again enters the conversation as a major contender with the U.S. Open a month away.

LPGA Tour

Sorenstam, an eight-time player of the year, had pulled away from new No. 1, Lorena Ochoa, on Saturday. She did the same to Jang yesterday using her typical steadiness for a 2-under 69.

Jang missed a short putt on the final hole for her first bogey in 35 holes and dropped into a tie for second with Christina Kim (69), who made a birdie on the final hole, Allison Fouch (64) and Karen Stupples (66).

European Tour

The South African had four birdies and a bogey at Castello di Tolcinasco Golf and Country Club to finish at 25-under 263. Wilson, an Englishman, shot an 8-under 64, the best round of the day.