Sports

Tiger wins at The Players Championship after Sergio’s wet meltdown

WATER YOU THINK: Tiger Woods plays the 7th hole on the way to winning the Players Championship at the TPC at Sawgrass yesterday. Woods’ victory was due in large part to his nemesis this week, Sergio Garcia, putting three balls in the water in the final two holes. (Getty Images)

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Tiger Woods is about as fond of the TPC at Sawgrass as he is of Sergio Garcia.

So, the dramatic way Woods’ second career Players Championship victory unfolded yesterday was especially delicious, considering the fact it was coupled with an epic collapse by Garcia on the final two holes.

Just hours before Woods nailed down his 78th career victory and fourth this year, Garcia ripped him after their weather-delayed third round was completed in the morning.

“I’m not going to lie; he’s not my favorite guy to play with,’’ Garcia said of Woods, with whom he was paired in the third round. “He’s not the nicest guy on tour. We don’t enjoy each other’s company. You don’t have to be a rocket engineer to figure that out.’’

With a chance to stick it to Woods, Garcia stood on the 17th tee tied for the lead with Woods at 13-under par with a pitching wedge in his hand and went all “Tin Cup’’ — hitting two consecutive shots into the water to take a stunning quadruple-bogey 7 on the hole.

Adding to one of the most humiliating moments of his career, Garcia then rinsed his tee shot in the water on the 18th and took double bogey to complete a forgettable 30-minute stretch in which he lost six shots to par and threw away his chances of winning a second career Players Championship.

For Woods, this marked the earliest in a season he has won his fourth tournament in his brilliant career.

“Am I surprised?’’ Woods said. “No. I know a lot of people in this room thought I was done. But I’m not.’’

Yesterday was Woods’ seventh win in his last 22 starts and it marked the remarkable 53rd time in 57 tournaments he has closed out a victory after having at least a share of the lead entering the final round.

This one did not come easy, though. Woods nearly blew a two-shot lead with five holes to play when he double bogeyed the 14th hole after hooking his tee shot into the water.

“I was in control of the tournament until I got to the 14th and I just hit the worst shot I could possibly hit,’’ he said.

Woods recovered with three pars and a birdie on his way home and it was enough to win by two shots over PGA Tour rookie David Lingmerth, Jeff Maggert and Kevin Streelman (all 11-under), because no one behind him — including, of course, the floundering Garcia — made a serious charge at him.

“How about that?’’ Woods’ caddie Joe LaCava said to him as they embraced inside the scoring trailer once the victory was clinched when Lingmerth failed to birdie the 18th. “I told you you’d get this track.’’

Indeed, the TPC at Sawgrass has been a thorn in the side of Woods, who won the tournament in 2001 when he was playing the greatest golf of his career but had managed only one Top 10 finish since.

“I hadn’t played really well here since 2000, 2001,’’ Woods said. “This golf course has been a little bit tricky over the years, and I’m not the only one who’s struggled with it.’’

He hasn’t struggled with any hole more than he has No. 14, where he has hit the fairway just 28 of the 59 times he’s played it. So when that tee shot on 14 went left, Woods turned the entire tournament upside-down for the last 90 minutes.

The stunning gaffe dropped Woods to 12-under par and drew Garcia, Lingmerth and Maggert into a four-way tie for the lead.

The 49-year-old Maggert, who entered the week ranked 429th in world, with a top finish this year a tie for 46th, no win since 2006 and only one Top 3 finish in the last seven years, was the first to fade from Woods’ rearview mirror when he hit his tee shot into the drink on 17.

Then came Garcia and his “Tin Cup’’ moment, which occurred while Woods was on the 18th tee and was informed by spectators of Garcia’s stunning collapse.

After his win, Woods declined to take the bait and gloat about Garcia’s demise. But if Woods’ victory were the dinner entree, Garcia’s collapse was dessert.