Play-off win completes Garrido's comeback

Former Ryder Cup player shows benefit of intensive coaching to beat Immelman to Volvo PGA Championship

For a player whose game had been in intensive care, Ignacio Garrido completed a remarkable recovery to win the Volvo PGA Championship, the biggest title on the European Tour, here yesterday.

When the former Ryder Cup player went to his fellow Spaniard, Domingo Hospital, at the start of last year for some help on his swing, he was told: "Look, if you want me to help you, we need to change the whole thing."

So they did, and a player who once caddied in the event for his father, Antonio, eventually beat Trevor Immelman at the first extra hole of the play-off. Having almost holed a huge putt for an eagle on the 18th in regulation to win the tournament, Immelman this time lipped out from four feet for a four at the same hole. Garrido, who missed the green with his second shot but got a lucky bounce off the trees, had played a superb chip to two feet and tapped in for the victory.

Garrido has also caddied for his English girlfriend, Sam Head, who plays on the Japanese Tour. She finished 12th yesterday, but until then Garrido thought she had earned more money this season. That changed when he collected the first prize of £414,555. He had been thinking of buying a Volvo; now he could buy a fleet.

The 31-year-old Spaniard won the German Open in 1997, the year he followed his father by becoming a Ryder Cup player. At Valderrama his brilliant short game was seen in all its glory, but had not been able to add another victory since then.

"I expected to get some results this year, but never this," Garrido said. "Apart from the majors, for me this is the best tournament to win. It is more than I thought I could achieve."

Garrido had started the week ranked 228th in the world, making him the third outsider in row to win the tournament following Andrew Oldcorn in 2001 and Anders Hansen last year.

Immelman, who had earlier birdied three of the last four holes to tie with Garrido, appeared to be in the prime position when he found the green in two at the 18th in the playoff. But he was left with a tricky putt from over 50 feet for his third and came up fractionally short of a safe tap-in.

"I knew he had a tricky long putt to come, but my chip was pretty straightforward," Garrido said. "Trevor was very unlucky to lose like that. To shoot a 68 when you are leading the tournament was a great performance."

Immelman said: "I had a great week. I don't know what happened on the putt I missed." It was his third play-off of the season. He won the first to take the South African Open, but lost the following week in a six-man decider at the Dunhill Championship.

The pair had tied at 18 under par on an afternoon when the lead had changed hands much as the sunshine and the showers fought for supremacy in the skies. Immelman led by two overnight, but it was Garrido with a fine round of 65 who set the pace, playing alongside Ernie Els. The pairing was the only one on the course not to see a bogey on either card. "People might think it is difficult playing with Ernie because he is one of the best players in the world, but I felt comfortable and he was very helpful," Garrido said.

He showed his intent by holing from 10 feet at the second, chipped to four feet for a four at the fourth, then made a 28-footer at the eighth to be out in 32. This was the first time Immelman had gone out on the European Tour holding the 54-hole lead and during his front nine of 34 the South African appeared uncertain whether to attack or defend his position.

Garrido's three birdies in a row from the 10th took him from one behind to one in front. The run could have been even better. Following a superb long iron approach at the par-five 12th, he missed the eagle putt from only three feet.

His next birdie came at the 16th, where he holed from over 30 feet to go three ahead. But driving into the rough at two par-five finishing holes cost Garrido the chance of a bigger lead and he closed par, par.

Immelman, with birdies at the 15th and the 17th, came to the last one behind and bravely found the green in two. But before he could make the long eagle attempt he had to wait while his playing partner, Niclas Fasth, found his ball in a bush, somehow talked his way into a free drop, over the road on the right, and finally found the green. Niclas Slow, indeed.

Immelman's eagle putt to tie the course record of 63 on Saturday had lipped out and now he faced an 80-footer to win. It was a brilliant effort that just touched the hole, but gave him only a two-footer to force the play-off.

Mathias Gronberg's 67 left him three strokes adrift in third, while Els came in fourth, the fifth time he has been in the top four at the PGA and not won. The world No 2 simply could not get the putts to drop and his three birdies in a 69 came at par-fives. Els had not played for three weeks and admitted his short game was still a touch rusty.

Nick Faldo, playing in the event for the 25th time, showed some of the old magic from tee-to-green in the middle of his round but never gained enough momentum to make a charge.

VOLVO PGA CHAMPIONSHIP (Wentworth, Surrey) Leading final scores (GB or Irl unless stated): 270 I Garrido (Sp) 70 69 66 65, T Immelman 69 69 64 68 (Garrido won at first play-off hole). 273 M Gronberg (Swe) 72 67 67 67. 274 E Els (SA) 69 69 67 69. 275 B Lane 72 68 68 67, K Ferrie 70 67 70 68. 276 S Kjeldsen (Den) 68 72 69 67, T Levet (Fr) 74 69 66 67. 277 C Montgomerie 69 70 69 69, N Faldo 71 68 68 70, P Price 71 69 67 70, G Orr 69 72 66 70, P Casey 70 72 64 71. 278 D Gilford 70 69 71 68, P Eales 74 69 67 68, E Romero (Arg) 72 71 65 70, D Clarke 66 69 72 71, K Na (S Kor) 69 70 68 71, N Fasth (Swe) 69 67 68 74. 279 A Scott (Aus) 68 73 71 67, P Fowler (Aus) 70 71 70 68, S Leaney (Aus) 69 73 65 72. 280 H Bjornstad (Nor) 71 71 71 67, J Bickerton 72 69 71 68, M Maritz (SA) 71 71 68 70, S Lyle 75 68 67 70, R Rock 69 68 70 73. 281 S Dodd 71 72 69 69, P Hedblom (Swe) 69 74 69 69, M Ilonen (Fin) 69 70 72 70, M Olander (Swe) 73 67 69 72. 282 R Rafferty 69 72 72 69, M Tunnicliff 69 73 71 69, J Rose 68 73 70 71, F Jacobson (Swe) 72 69 70 71, P McGinley 70 69 71 72, A Coltart 68 71 70 73, E Canonica (It) 71 69 69 73, M McNulty (Zim) 69 71 68 74. 283 H Stenson (Swe) 71 72 70 70, A Forsyth 67 71 71 74, J Donaldson 69 71 68 75, G Brand Jnr 68 70 68 77. 284 R Russell 74 67 73 70, J Van de Velde (Fr) 71 70 70 73, J Kingston (SA) 67 76 67 74, I Woosnam 68 69 72 75. 285 D Drysdale 72 71 71 71, M Blackey 70 73 71 71, J-M Olazabal (Sp) 68 71 74 72, R Gonzalez (Arg) 69 73 70 73, M Campbell (Nzl) 69 74 69 73. 286 J-F Remesy (Fr) 73 69 75 69, H Nystrom (Swe) 73 69 74 70, A Hansen (Den) 70 72 70 74, P Baker 68 73 70 75, S Torrance 70 71 70 75.