adminWASHINGTON. — Spanish golf star Sergio Garcia secured his first PGA Tour win since 2012 on Sunday after holding his nerve in a playoff to win the Byron Nelson Championship in Texas.
The world number 15 edged out Brooks Koepka on the first hole of a playoff at the TPC Four Seasons in Irving to claim the ninth US PGA win of his career.
The 36-year-old’s ninth victory saw him draw level with late great Seve Ballesteros for the most wins on the PGA Tour by a Spanish player.
“It’s awesome to be up there with Seve, it means so much,” said Garcia, who said his gutsy round had been in the spirit of his revered countryman, who died in 2011.
“I won it a little bit ‘a la Seve’ today,” Garcia smiled. “I was battling. I was playing hard, chipping great, made some great putts.”
The win puts Garcia firmly on track to make the European team for this year’s Ryder Cup.
“I played nicely this week, I know I can play better,” said Garcia. “This is going to drop me nicely into the Ryder Cup points league and that means a lot to me.”
Koepka was left ruing a late collapse on the back nine that saw him give up a three-shot lead to go into a playoff with Garcia, where his game swiftly unravelled.
“I really had no idea where the ball was going,” Koepka said. “You’ve got to take some positives out of it, but it is disappointing.”
Garcia had been put in the driving seat on the first extra hole, the 429-yard par-four 18th, when Koepka smacked his tee-shot into the water hazard, forcing a drop. — AFP.
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