Sergio Garcia won the biggest title of his career, and his first on the PGA Tour in three years, with a playoff victory over American Paul Goydos at the Players Championship.

The Spaniard, who began the final round three strokes off the pace, triumphed at the first extra hole after hitting a superb tee shot to four feet at the treacherous par-three 17th.

Although the 28-year-old missed the birdie putt, his par was good enough to sink Goydos who double-bogeyed after his tee shot found water short of the island green.

The pair had finished the 72 regulation holes at five-under-par 283, journeyman Goydos missing a nine-footer to bogey the last for a 74 and Garcia closing with a 71.

"This is huge for me and I'm sure it will be huge for everybody back at home," Garcia said after earning the winner's cheque for $1.71 million and becoming the first European champion since Britain's Sandy Lyle in 1987.

"And I want to thank Tiger (Woods) for not being here," he added with a broad grin. "That always makes things a little bit easier."

World number one Woods missed the event unofficially dubbed the fifth major as he recovers from knee surgery.

"It was a very, very hard day," said Garcia, referring to swirling winds at the Tournament Players Club at Sawgrass. "It was probably even harder than the final round at the Open last year.

The Spaniard, yet to win a major title, lost to Irishman Padraig Harrington in a playoff for the 2007 British Open at Carnoustie.

Garcia, who led the field in driving accuracy and greens in regulation, set up his seventh PGA Tour victory with three birdies in four holes from the 11th.

For much of a brutal final round, though, overnight leader Goydos appeared likely to win his third title on the world's most lucrative circuit.

The most successful putter on the slick Sawgrass greens, he twice forged three strokes clear before fellow American Jeff Quinney and Garcia piled on the pressure over the closing stretch.

Garcia briefly closed to within a stroke when he sank a 16-foot birdie putt at the 12th before slipping back with a bogey at the 13th.

Goydos, world-ranked 169th, reclaimed a three-shot cushion when he struck a superb approach to within three feet at the 12th to set up his third birdie.

Garcia again cut the deficit by ramming in a 45-footer to birdie the 14th before ending in a tie for the lead when Goydos bogeyed 14 and 15.

The Spaniard wasted a golden opportunity to forge ahead when he missed a five-foot birdie putt at the par-five 16th.

Seconds later, playing partner Quinney moved into a three-way tie for the lead with a two-putt birdie.

Although Goydos edged ahead when he birdied 16, he missed a nine-footer to bogey the last.

"It's as much fun as I've had and I got to do a lot of firsts this week," Goydos said after earning a cheque for $1.026 million, the biggest of his career. "I got beat, that's golf."

Quinney bogeyed the last for a 70 and third place at four under. South African world number four Ernie Els returned a 72 to share sixth place while defending champion Phil Mickelson slumped to a 78 and joint 21st.

Reuters