American Rickie Fowler has won The Players Championship, considered ‘the fifth major’, by beating Sergio Garcia and compatriot Kevin Kisner in the playoff. “This is a great win,” Fowler said of the second title of his career and the most important.
The three players played three playoff holes after finishing the four rounds at 12 under par. Garcia was out of contention and the tie between Fowler and Kisner continued, forcing an extra hole, which Fowler won.
“It’s been a very consistent week,” said Garcia, pleased with a year in which he is playing well despite the wins not coming. “At least I had a chance (to win). It’s been another great week, I can’t complain, I see a lot of positives,” he added.
The world number one, Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, finished four strokes behind the leading trio. Much farther behind finished the American Tiger Woods, former world number one, who closed today with a card of 72 strokes for a total of three over par of the course, at the bottom of the standings.
“There was everything this week. A lot of really good things, some mediocre and some bad,” the champion of 14 majors told the local media. At the TPC Sawgrass course, where he won in 2001 and 2013, he played his second tournament after his self-imposed break to get his game back on track.
Woods again completed four rounds for the second consecutive tournament, something he had not done since 2013. However, he again showed problems with his short game and totaled five double-bogeys, something that had happened to him on only four other occasions, all in 2011.
“I think I’m closer,” he said of his swing, also revamped thanks to his work with consultant Chris Como. “We’re going in the right direction, I feel more comfortable,” he added, confident that in the end the changes will pay off.
In three weeks he wants to compete at The Memorial at Muirfield Village, where he has won five times. “Absolutely,” he said when asked if the changes will have him fighting for wins soon.
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