GREENSBORO, N.C. — Rainy weather left Sergio Garcia stuck in central North Carolina for an extra day. Turns out, it was worth the hassle.
Garcia claimed a two-stroke win yesterday in the water-logged Wyndham Championship for his first victory on tour since the 2008 Players Championship.
He finished with a 66 to wind up at 18-under 262, claim $936,000 in prize money and maybe seal a spot on the European Ryder Cup team.
“I think there were a lot of things going on. It shows a lot to me,” Garcia said. “Hopefully, this will secure my spot on the Ryder Cup team, and winning is always nice.”
Garcia led both after the third round and when the fourth round was held up overnight due to a persistent downpour.
He had three straight late-round birdies after a bogey briefly dropped him into a tie for the lead, and cruised to his eighth career PGA victory.
Garcia began the decisive surge on the par-4 No. 13, plopping his chip roughly a foot from the flagstick and tapping it in for birdie.
He added another birdie on No. 15 — a pretty chip from a greenside bunker left him with a 5-foot putt — and followed that with another birdie on the par-3 16th. He added a birdie on No. 17 to move to 19 under, leaving his bogey on the final hole inconsequential.
It was a bit of redemption for the 32-year-old Spaniard, who in his last appearance in Greensboro in 2009 was up by three strokes midway through the round, but let it slip away.
This time, he finished strong to give a huge boost to his Ryder Cup candidacy. The 10 automatic qualifiers will be set following the Johnnie Walker Invitational with Jose Maria Olazabal making two captain’s picks.
“We’ll see when the team comes out, but I think my chances are a little better now,” Garcia said.
Tim Clark was at 16 under following his 67, and Bud Cauley finished 15 under after his 68.