Garcia Collapses, Singh Wins

Only one thing went according to script Sunday at the Wachovia Championship. The winner strolled up to the 18th green with no worries, the tournament all but decided.

The shock was seeing Vijay Singh hoisting the trophy.

The celebration was supposed to be for Sergio Garcia, who had a six-shot lead before the final round, a margin only four other players in PGA Tour history had squandered.

“Sometimes it’s harder to play with a big lead,” Singh said. “You don’t want to lose the tournament. If the guys are catching up ... you start to get a little nervous. But we played well.”

Singh took advantage of a record-tying collapse by Garcia and an untimely mistake by Jim Furyk to win on the fourth playoff hole at Quail Hollow.

After a steamy day of shifts in momentum and clutch birdies by Furyk, Singh needed only a par on the 18th hole in the playoff for his third victory of the year. Furyk’s tee shot on the final hole went into a creek.

Garcia squandered his six-shot lead in 12 holes. Then he got the lead back with consecutive birdies, only to slip into a tie when he went for the pin on the peninsula-green at the par-three 17th, went into the water and made bogey.

He was eliminated on the first extra hole by three-putting from 45 feet, missing a six-footer for par.

“They say you learn more from your losses than your wins,” Garcia said after closing with a 72. “And I’ve got a lot from this week to learn.”

Overlooked in his collapse was spectacular play from Singh and Furyk, who each closed with a six-under-par 66. All three finished at 12-under 276.