Sergio Garcia put a smile on the face of Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam on Sunday by winning the first qualifying event for next year's match.
The 25-year-old Spaniard, who has lost only three of 15 games against the
Americans since his debut in 1999, chipped in at the short 16th and parred the
last two holes for a one-stroke victory over Swede Peter Gustafsson at the Omega
European Masters in Switzerland.
But a week that earned Garcia £193,277 has also landed him back in trouble
with the European Tour. Not for the first time, he faces a possible fine for a
show of temper.
After three-putting the 17th for a double bogey six in his third round the
world number six kicked an advertising sign as he went to the next tee.
Tournament director David Probyn said: "Any breach of normal golfing
etiquette is frowned upon and not acceptable. When incidents are reported to us,
as this has been, we look into them and deal with them."
At the World Match Play at Wentworth in 1999 - the year he turned professional
- Garcia was reprimanded and warned about his future conduct after slipping on a
tee, taking off the offending shoe and kicking it, almost hitting referee John
Grant.
In the Open championship at St Andrews the following summer he was reported
for slamming a club into the turf after his ball finished in a divot.
But worst of all was the 2001 Greg Norman International in Sydney. He was
penalised for taking a wrong drop when leading the event and in his fury hit a
golf buggy and a tree with his sand wedge before criticising chief referee John
Paramor.
The European Tour has a policy of not announcing the size of fines, but Garcia
was thought to have been fined £5,000 then.
Nevertheless, as far as Woosnam is concerned, this was the perfect start to
the 12-month race for places in his team.
Garcia is one of the players who makes more appearances in America than in
Europe and it would be a real bonus for the side if he can qualify rather than
need one of the Welshman's two wild cards.
He dedicated the 15th win of his professional career to a 24-year-old friend
in Tenerife who died of lung cancer on Friday night.
"It was a tough day, it was a big hit to my head when I found out," he said.
"I wanted to play well for her and her family and I think I almost tried too
hard.
"I was a bit concerned on the back nine, but on the 16th I think Maria, all
the way from the skies, helped me."
Gustafsson, who lost a play-off for the Spanish Open in April but had not had
a top 30 finish since, threatened to spring a surprise when he closed with a
joint best-of-the-week 64.
But last year's qualifying school winner was forced to settle for second place
again when Garcia safely parred the 17th and 18th after his chip-in birdie on
the previous hole.
Paul Casey, his nightmare summer slump behind him, had also caught Garcia with
a back nine run, but he bogeyed the 16th and in the end finished third, one
ahead of defending champion Luke Donald and also Welshman Garry Houston.
Casey, who had an eagle and seven birdies but also four bogeys, said:
"Overall I am very happy. I can't be too frustrated - I feel I am getting back
to where I want to be."
Donald, who stayed with Garcia for the week and can expect to partner him
again at the Ryder Cup, commented: "The finish was disappointing. Sergio's chip
at the 16th was game over and if I wasn't going to win I am glad he did."
For Houston fourth place matched the best finish of his tour career and
secured his place on the circuit for next season. He started the week 126th on
the Order of Merit and 433rd in the world.
He said: "It was a big, big week for me. I played well and was rewarded. I
felt I pushed him pretty close right until the end."
One ahead after finishing his third round by sinking an 111-yard wedge for an
eagle two, Garcia lost that advantage when he three-putted the long first for
par and Houston got down in two from short of the green for birdie.
Garcia took command with a burst of four birdies in five holes from the fifth,
but then bogeyed the 10th and, with his annoyance surfacing again, three-putted
the long 14th for another to see his four-shot lead disappear.
However, with only one win all year - the Booz Allen Classic in America - he
was determined not to let another chance slip away and held on for victory.
Collated final totals (Gbr and Irl unless stated, par 71):
(x) denotes amateur
270 Sergio Garcia (Spa) 66 65 71 68 (£193,277)
271 Peter Gustafsson (Swe) 69 70 68 64 (£128,847)
272 Paul Casey 67 72 67 66 (£72,596)
273 Luke Donald 66 72 66 69, Garry Houston 65 69 69 70 (£53,577 each)
274 Pierre Fulke (Swe) 69 67 70 68 (£40,588)
275 Stuart Little 69 70 69 67, Philip Golding 68 73 66 68
276 Jamie Spence 71 70 70 65, Steven O'Hara 70 69 70 67, Emanuele Canonica
(Ita) 71 68 69 68, Paul Broadhurst 67 69 71 69
277 Henrik Stenson (Swe) 70 68 69 70, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 71 69 67 70
278 Damien McGrane 68 71 74 65, Bradley Dredge 72 68 67 71
279 Andrew McLardy (Rsa) 69 73 68 69, Robert Karlsson (Swe) 70 68 71 70, Jarmo
Sandelin (Swe) 65 73 71 70, Christian Cevaer (Fra) 67 71 70 71, Francesco
Molinari (Ita) 73 66 69 71, Maarten Lafeber (Ned) 69 74 65 71
280 Marc Cayeux (Zim) 75 68 71 66, Peter Lawrie 68 69 75 68, Mattias Eliasson
(Swe) 72 68 71 69, Ian Garbutt 73 68 70 69, Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg) 74 67 70 69,
Simon Khan 70 72 66 72, Oliver Wilson 67 72 67 74
281 Tino Schuster (Ger) 70 70 72 69, Johan Axgren (Swe) 68 74 69 70, Darren
Fichardt (Rsa) 68 70 68 75, Anders Hansen (Den) 67 70 67 77
282 Anthony Wall 72 71 71 68, Jose Manuel Lara (Spa) 73 68 72 69, Jean Van de
Velde (Fra) 70 65 75 72, Peter O'Malley (Aus) 68 71 71 72, Miles Tunnicliff 72
69 69 72, Leif Westerberg (Swe) 67 70 69 76
283 Raymond Russell 71 72 73 67, Johan Skold (Swe) 72 71 71 69, Ian Woosnam 72
67 73 71, Peter Hanson (Swe) 72 69 71 71, Peter Hedblom (Swe) 66 76 70 71,
Jan-Are Larsen (Nor) 68 72 70 73, Gary Emerson 70 70 69 74, Stuart Manley 70 72
67 74
284 Wade Ormsby (Aus) 70 73 76 65 , Stephen Scahill (Nzl) 69 71 73 71, Peter
Senior (Aus) 68 73 71 72, Roger Chapman 72 70 70 72, Joakim Backstrom (Swe) 73
70 69 72, Andrea Maestroni (Ita) 68 75 68 73, Graeme Storm 71 65 74 74, Charl
Schwartzel (Rsa) 74 68 68 74
285 Lee Slattery 71 72 72 70, David Carter 65 72 76 72, Andre Bossert (Swi) 69
70 74 72, Robert Rock 69 71 73 72, Santiago Luna (Spa) 69 72 72 72, Jose-Filipe
Lima (Por) 76 65 71 73, (x) Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 72 71 67 75, Martin
Erlandsson (Swe) 72 64 70 79
286 Marten Olander (Swe) 72 71 75 68, Michael Jonzon (Swe) 67 73 72 74, Gordon
Brand Jnr 70 71 70 75
287 Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe) 72 69 74 72
289 Richard Bland 67 76 73 73
290 Brett Rumford (Aus) 75 68 73 74, Simon Dyson 74 68 70 78
291 Mark Foster 71 72 73 75
292 Barry Lane 72 70 75 75, Tobias Dier (Ger) 71 72 74 75
294 Patrik Sjoland (Swe) 68 75 73 78
295 Mads Vibe-Hastrup (Den) 71 72 75 77
298 Phillip Archer 73 69 83 73
300 Marcus Knight (Swi) 70 72 77 81
301 Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel) 71 72 76 82
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