Garcia joy at Players win
by Mark May, 12 May 2008
Sergio Garcia could hardly hide his delight after finally exorcising the demons of his Open play-off defeat to Padraig Harrington in Carnoustie last year by winning The Players Championship in Florida.
The Spaniard emerged victorious after another play-off, this time against long-time leader Paul Goydos, to clinch the ‘unofficial fifth major’.
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"I felt so good all week long with all parts of my game," Garcia told the PGA Tour's official website.
"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."
He added: "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.
"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 already set his sights on the next major on the cards, the US Open at Torry Pines in June, where he hopes his electric form with his putter will continue.
"I'm looking forward to seeing what the greens are going to be like," said Garcia.
"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."