Hard work gives Garcia his biggest victory

The 28-year-old Spaniard became just the second European to win the PGA TOUR's showcase event as he beat Paul Goydos on the first hole of sudden death, the par-3 17th. The victory was the seventh of his career and the first in 54 starts since his last win in 2005.

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Garcia closed with a 71, one of just eight sub-par scores on a brutally windy day at TPC Sawgrass, to force the playoff. He rolled in a clutch 7-footer for par on the final hole of regulation -- not bad for a man whose putter might as well have been a lightning rod in recent years.

The work Garcia has been doing with short-game guru Stan Utley has clearly paid dividends. What's lost in the conversation, though, is Garcia's prowess tee to green, and he led the deepest field of the year in fairways hit and greens in regulation. No shot was bigger than the sand wedge he nailed to within four feet of the pin on the island green after Goydos found the water.

"I felt so good all week long with all parts of my game," Garcia said. "I feel like I was really coming along, and you know, (I am) just thrilled to be able to be the PLAYERS champ and I'm just going to try to carry it as well as I can. ...

"Not only because of the field, but the course, everything around it, it feels like a major. And it tests you like a major, (but) unfortunately it's not. Maybe sometime in the future, it might be.

"But it definitely feels like it and I'm so thrilled to be here standing with the trophy."

A year ago, Garcia had been in Goydos' position, finishing second to Phil Mickelson. The only other player to finish runner-up in THE PLAYERS one year and win the following year is Tiger Woods in 2000-2001.

"Sergio played better than everybody else, look at the stats," the gracious Goydos said. "I'm glad that that's rewarded."

The victory was worth $1.71 million, 4,950 FedExCup points and a five-year PGA TOUR exemption. More important, though, might be the confidence boost Garcia received with the U.S. Open on the horizon a month down the road.

"I think it's a big jump up for Sergio to win such a big tournament, the fifth major," said Garcia's caddy, Glen Murray. "Mostly, I'm just really happy for him that he's found a bit of confidence in his putting in this, and he's kind of turned the corner.

"I think it's going to stand him in good stead for a long time."

The short term would be even better, though. Garcia plans to play in the Memorial Tournament and Stanford St. Jude Championship leading up to the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in June where he could take another major step in his career.

"I'm looking forward to seeing what the greens are going to be like," said Garcia, who has four top-20s in the U.S. Open. "I think it's just an amazing golf course. I think it's going to be really difficult to beat Tiger there, because, you know, he obviously loves that golf course there, kind of like the same way I feel here.

"But at least I want to at least give it a chance and see if I can challenge him a little bit, and you know, whatever happens, happens."

Garcia has been there before in majors -- starting at Medinah where the 19-year-old took Tiger Woods and scissor-kicked his way to a second-place finish in the 1999 PGA Championship. Most recently, it was at Carnoustie where the Spaniard missed a 10-footer for par on the 72nd hole and went on to lose a playoff to Padraig Harrington.

Sunday's victory at THE PLAYERS Championship reinforces Garcia's belief that he's been working on the right things. He knows when he has confidence in himself -- like he did on the Stadium Course -- he's among the best players in the world.

Now he's just wants to keep the momentum going.

"It's been a lot of work, but like everything when you work hard at it, and you work on the right things, they end up paying off," Garcia said. "I don't want to get stuck here. I want to have a good year and keep giving myself chances of winning more events and having a major if I can. Other than that, it's all great.

Garcia has been playing so long it's hard to believe he's still just 28 -- an "old man," he joked -- and the ninth player in his 20s to win on the PGA TOUR this year. He's certainly got the credentials with 13 top-10s in 37 major championship appearances.

Although he played Sunday with the confidence of a veteran, Garcia thinks he performs best when he can harness the exuberance of his youth. Hit shots, and go find them, just like he did at THE PLAYERS. Shake off the bad breaks, and capitalize on the opportunities that are presented. Just like he did Sunday.

"Sometimes you get a little bit too frustrated with this game," Garcia said. "It's a beautiful game, but it's a really hard one."

Golf: Lucrative event brings top players to NZ

American golfer Brandt Snedeker plans to get married on October 18, with part of his honeymoon at work in New Zealand.

Snedeker joins Adam Scott of Australia and fellow Americans Anthony Kim, and Hunter Mahan in the new "Kiwi Challenge" to be played from October 27-28 at Kauri Cliffs and Cape Kidnappers.

The winner gets US$1.5 million ($2.06 million) from a US$2.6 million total, making it the second-largest payoff in the silly season behind the US$2 million at the Nedbank Challenge in South Africa.

It's the second attempt this decade to capitalise on the emerging youth in golf.

Unlike the Tommy Bahama Challenge, which didn't last long, this brings together four players in the top 50 who are willing to travel.

Mahan went to Wentworth, England last year for the World Match Play Championship, while Snedeker played last year in Australia.

"It's hard for me to relay the feeling of how excited myself and my fiancee are to visit New Zealand," Snedeker said. "We're getting married right before the Kiwi Challenge, and this will be a honeymoon to remember."

USF Men's Golf Lands Five Players for the 2008-09 Season

USF men's golf welcomes a five-member recruiting class set to compete for the dons in the 2008-09 season as announced today by head coach Dr. Gary Nelson. Ji Hwan Park (Fullerton, CA/Emerson Honors HS), Joey Toulon (Vista, CA/Rancho Buena Vista HS) and Matt Miller (Pleasonton, CA/Foothills HS) enter as freshman, while Scott Hess (Santa Rosa/Santa Rosa CC) and Kyle Prolo (Benicia, CA/Idaho State) are transfers.

"These five players are appreciated not only for their accomplishments on the course, but for their character and integrity as a whole," Nelson said. "We look forward to their contribution to men's golf and to the USF community."

Ji Hwan Park, 5-11, Freshman, Fullerton, CA/Emerson Honors HS
Ji Hwan Park has already established himself as a force not only in Southern California but also internationally. Park captured more than six Korean National Junior titles. Ranked in the top 40 nationally, Park won the 2007 California State Open against a strong professional field. He posted a top-10 showing in the same event in 2008.

Joey Toulon, 5-11, Freshman, Vista, CA/Rancho Buena Vista HS
Joey Toulon is an incoming freshman who joins his brother Tony, a senior for the Dons. Joey has come on strong in numerous events and recently finished third in the Champions High School Junior Invitational. He was named All-San Diego CIF as a junior and captained his high school team for three years.

Matt Miller, 5-10, Freshman, Pleasonton/Foothills HS
Mat Miller is the third freshman to sign with USF. He recently advanced to match play in the San Francisco City Amateur, one of the strongest fields in the State. He has also posted numerous low rounds including a final round 65 in the Alameda Commuters, the lowest round of the tournament against another quality field.

Scott Hess, 5-9, Junior, Santa Rosa, CA/Santa Rosa City College
Scott Hess is a junior transfer from Santa Rosa City College. He brings a wealth of tournament experience including a victory in the Northern California Match Play Championships. He also qualified for the U.S. Public Links, the Hogan Cup Team and represented Northern California on the North-South Championship Team.

Kyle Prolo, 6-0, Senior, Benicia, CA/Idaho State
A senior transfer from Idaho State, Kyle Prolo was their number one player for three years before the Bengals dropped their golf program at the end of the 2007-08 season. A 2008 America Sky First Team Selection, Prolo set records for both single season scoring average and career scoring average for the Bengals. In his final year in Pocatello, Prolo posted multiple top-10 tournament finishes. He will step onto the team with tremendous experience and success at the Division I level.

Park, Toulon, Miller and Prolo will enter USF as Business majors, joining an already accomplished returning group of student-athletes which posted a 3.3 GPA as a team during the 2007-08 campaign.

Players braced for marathon

Stuart Appleby promised to keep attacking after moving within five strokes of the lead during the third round at the US PGA Championship.

Appleby, one of only two Australians to make the cut in all four majors this year, completed 12 holes on Saturday before bad weather halted play at Oakland Hills.

The Victorian picked up three birdies and one bogey to improve to four over, within striking distance of American leader JB Holmes, who was among eight players who did not even tee off.

Aaron Baddeley, the best placed Australian, completed only one hole, making par to remain three shots behind at two over, while Steve Elkington was five over after dropping one shot in seven holes.

"I've got to shoot some pretty good numbers coming in and tear up the course," Appleby said. "If I can get back to something like even par, that will be nice, but the whole course is a lot easier, so I don't think you'll see scores slipping down any more."

Appleby was frustrated that his momentum was halted by the delay, but he has been around too long to fret over things he cannot control.

After play was stopped shortly after 2pm, a series of thunderstorms rolled through, preventing any further competition for the rest of the day. Officials scheduled the round to resume at the crack of dawn, and were optimistic of completing the final round before darkness, but a Monday finish is a distinct possibility.

A total of 25 players completed the third round, including five of the eight Australians who made the cut, but none of the them moved into contention.

Argentine Andres Romero made the biggest move, shooting a sizzling five-under 65 that matched the course record.

"Almost perfect," Romero said of his round. "I can't believe it. I have a chance tomorrow."

That remained to be seen, although Romero's two-over 212 total had a good chance of being close to the lead starting the final round.

Romero took advantage of slightly easier conditions after the greens were watered overnight, shooting seven birdies.

It was a far cry from the second round, when he dropped six shots in three holes shortly before the turn.

Romero, who played the back nine first, had a quadruple bogey at the par-four 16th, where he put two balls into the pond guarding the green, and he also double-bogeyed the par-four 18th.

"After that I got mad and played not very concentrated the rest of the round," he admitted. "I couldn't come back after that eight, because I was mad. I was fighting for the lead and suddenly I was trying to make the cut, so I was going mad the rest of the round."

Romero, 27, is an exciting young player. He was in the hunt at last year's British Open, until his second shot at the 71st hole took a wicked bounce and ricocheted out-of-bounds. He posted his maiden US PGA Tour victory at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in March.

Players are 'slaves' at Ryder Cup

One of America's most promising young players may have talked himself out of a Ryder Cup place after saying players are "slaves" for the tournament week.

Hunter Mahan, 26, is 12th in the US points table with just two weeks left in their qualifying race, with the top eight earning automatic team spots.

"You've got dinners every night - not little dinners, massive ones," he said.

"As players, that's the last thing we want. We want to prepare ourselves. You're just a slave that week."

With Tiger Woods ruled out of contention because of injury, the ninth-ranked player will be included, and captain Paul Azinger has four wild cards at his disposal.

Azinger has spoken of his desire to have a team of players who actually want to be there when the tournament takes place at Lexington in September.

But Mahan said he got the impression it was just an enjoyment-free imposition on players, and he could foresee the day when players decided to boycott the event.

"From what I've heard the whole week is extremely long," he told Golf magazine.

"From what I've heard the Ryder Cup isn't fun. The fun is sucked right out of it. That's the word I hear a lot."

"At some point the players might say, 'You know what - we're not doing this anymore, because this is ridiculous'.

"Don't be surprised if it (a refusal to play) happens. It's just not a fun week like it should be. Is it an honour to play? Yes, it is. But (the players') time is valuable. This is a business.

"I just feel like the players don't have much control over it and I don't think they like that. I wouldn't like that.

"I think Europe really, really takes it seriously. I think the US does too, but not like Europe.

"For one, every place they hold a Ryder Cup in Europe is a place on the European Tour schedule. That's really smart because right away they have an advantage.

"The PGA of America could care less about winning it, honestly.

"They pick a site where they're going to have the Senior PGA, the PGA and the Ryder Cup, which means less money they have to pay out to get more money."

Woods: No swings ‘until next year’

Tiger Woods watched enough of the PGA Championship to see Padraig Harrington join him as the only players this decade to win two majors in the same season, and he congratulated the Irishman in a newsletter Tuesday.

The question is whether Woods will be able to stop Harrington from trying to win three straight majors at the Masters. Woods had reconstructive surgery on his left knee and has no timetable for his return.

Repeating comments he made last week in a radio interview, Woods said he is able to move around without crutches, rides a stationary bike as part of his rehab but won't start swing a club "until next year."

"I just don't have a choice," Woods said. "We simply don't know what type of swelling there would be or if there would be any residual effects the next day once you start wheeling and dealing on the knee. Everyone's body reacts differently.

"I don't know what the doctors are going to tell me about playing golf down the road," he said. "I'm taking it day-to-day, week-to-week. All I'm doing every day is looking forward to my next day."

Woods said he watched only parts of the British Open, PGA Championship and Senior British Open, where friend John Cook was in contention. But he sounded eager about watching the first Ryder Cup without him since 1995.

"I will definitely watch some of the Ryder Cup matches and will be pulling hard for the American team," he said. "I wish I could do more than root!"

Des Smyth’s son hits it big in Irish lotto

The son of Irish golfer Des Smyth hit the jackpot on the Emerald Isle.

Greg Smyth, 24, won nearly $14 million in the Irish National Lottery, the Champions Tour announced Aug. 14.

Smyth, of Baltray, County Louth, is studying for a degree in horticulture.

His father, who is playing in this week's Jeld-Wen Tradition in Sunriver, Ore., called the news "surreal."

"Being so far away from things, it's hard to grasp," said Smyth, who shot 1-under 71 and is four strokes off the lead. "We got a call in the hotel at 6:20 a.m. this morning. Usually when you get a call that early, it's not good, but he assured us right at the start that it was good news he was about to tell us. I played today but honestly can't remember a single shot I hit. I was thinking about him all day. He'll be well advised for sure. I just hope he takes it."

The elder Smyth, 55, is a two-time winner in six seasons on the Champions Tour. This year, he is 74th on the money list with $123,132.

Greg Smyth bought the 4-euro quick-pick ticket Aug. 13 in Drogheda, where the family resides. He discovered that he had won while eating breakfast.

The winning ticket was worth 9,426,636 euros, or $13,962,612 at today's exchange rate.