Sergio Garcia wins HSBC Champions

Sergio Garcia of Spain beats England's Oliver Wilson at the second playoff hole to win the HSBC Champions in Shanghai.

Sergio Garcia
Fergus Bisset
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Sergio Garcia moved to second in the Official World Golf Ranking after winning the HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai in a playoff against Oliver Wilson.

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The 28-year-old Spaniard fired a final round of 68 to match Wilson’s finishing total of 274 (-14) and force extra holes. With a birdie at the second playoff hole Garcia took the title, a cheque for €650,000 and first place in the inaugural Race to Dubai.

Wilson, who’s yet to win a tournament on the European Tour, had good reason to feel hard done by. He did very little wrong in his final round of 70 and he played solidly all week, dealing admirably with the rain delay in the second round and the resulting Monday finish. But Garcia is in the best form of his career and he was not to be denied. The Englishman had to settle for his fifth runner’s-up finish of 2008.

Garcia was delighted to secure his eighth European Tour victory, “It feels great.” He said. “I am so proud, to win and become World Number Two, it’s been great.”

Former World Number Two and defending champion Phil Mickelson struggled to a final round 73 that included a double bogey six at the tough 14th. He ended the week in a tie for eighth place with Prayad Marksaeng of Thailand.

Sweden’s Peter Hanson, winner of the SAS Masters, finished strongly with a 66 to tie Geoff Ogilvy for third on -13. Hanson made consecutive twos on the back nine – he birdied the par-4 12th then holed his approach shot to the par-4 13th. A further birdie at the 16th saw the Swede back in 32.

Another Swede Henrik Stenson finished alone in fifth with Charl Schwartzel and Adam Scott a further shot back in tied sixth.

HSBC Champions Sheshan International GC Nov 6-9, purse €3,035,000, par 72

1  Sergio Garcia (Esp)  66  68  72  68  274  €650,383 2  Oliver Wilson (Eng)  67  68  69  70  274  €433,601 T3  Peter Hanson (Swe)  69  70  70  66  275  €219,708 T3  Geoff Ogilvy (Aus)  70  65  70  70  275  €219,708   5  Henrik Stenson (Swe)  65  69  72  71  277  €166,245 T6  Charl Schwartzel (RSA)  69  72  67  70  278  €126,830 T6  Adam Scott (Aus)  66  71  71  70  278  €126,830 T8  Prayad Marksaeng (Tha)  68  70  71  70  279  €92,488 T8  Phil Mickelson (USA)  66  70  70  73  279  €92,488 10  Alvaro Quiros (Esp)  70  67  73  70  280  €78,245

Note: Players in bold signifies Titleist ball usage.

Fergus Bisset
Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He has also worked with Golf Monthly to produce a podcast series. Called 18 Majors: The Golf History Show it offers new and in-depth perspectives on some of the most important moments in golf's long history. You can find all the details about it here.

He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly.

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?

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