Garcia wins golf season-opener

Sergio Garcia sank a 10-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole on Sunday to defeat David Toms and claim the season-opening Mercedes Championships.

Garcia, who now has three wins on the PGA Tour, started the day four shots off the pace but fired a nine-under-par 64 to match Toms at 18-under 274.

The two opened the playoff at the 663-yard, par-five 18th, where Toms caught the rough with his second shot and left his third 30 feet right of the pin.

Garcia slipped a 50-yard chip 10 feet past the hole and, after Toms two-putted for par, converted the birdie opportunity for the win.

The 21-year-old Spaniard who said earlier in the week he would like to top the money winners-list on both the PGA and European Tours this year said the victory was a good start.

"At least I can say, when I get old, I talk to my nephews and all that stuff, I can say, 'Well, I was the money leader for at least a week,'" Garcia said.

Garcia, who picked up a $720,000 cheque for the victory, also won a Mercedes, and said he would not be keeping his own Mercedes SLK 320.

"I'm going to give that one to my caddie," he said. "And I'm going to keep this one."

Toms shot a six-under 66 in calm but damp conditions at the Plantation Course and fell just shy of his fourth title since May.

"I feel pretty good," said Toms, whose three titles last year included the PGA Championship. "I mean, I played good, solid golf today. I played good all week."

World number one Tiger Woods, who shot consecutive rounds of one-over-par 74 on Friday and Saturday, shot an eight-under-par 65 round on Sunday to move him into a tie for tenth-place.

He said he would travel to caddie Steve Williams' home country for the New Zealand Open, which has been threatened by a letter containing cyanide that was sent to the U.S. Embassy in New Zealand.

"They've assured me that I'm going to be safe," Woods said, "(and they would) do the best they can for not only myself, but the rest of the players and all the people coming out to the tournament."

Third-round co-leader Kenny Perry was third at 275, two strokes better than defending champion Jim Furyk. Scott McCarron, Mark Calcavecchia and Chris DiMarco tied for fifth at 278.

HOT ROUND

Garcia, who began the day four off the lead, stormed through the first 13 holes in seven under par, including an eagle-three at the par-five ninth hole.

"I think nine was important," Garcia said of his short eagle putt. "That eagle was pretty key because it just kept me going."

Toms got off to a slow start but jumped into a share for the lead when he also grabbed an eagle at the ninth. He followed three straight pars with three birdies in a row to reach 17-under.

Toms took a one-shot lead at 18-under with a birdie at the 17th, but Garcia tied for the lead with a 120-foot two-putt from just off the green at the 18th, making an eight-footer for birdie that forced the playoff.

In the playoff Toms left his 10-foot birdie putt on the edge of the cup.

"It was a straight-in putt, straight uphill into the green," he said. "Obviously, I didn't hit it hard enough."