Vijay Singh handed Sergio Garcia a sudden-death play-off defeat at The Barclays as the first FedEx Cup tournament of the year came to an exciting climax at Ridgewood Country Club.
Singh had forced a three-way play-off with Garcia and Kevin Sutherland as all three finished on eight-under-par 276 in regulation at the par-71 New Jersey course.
Sutherland was the first to drop out on the first extra hole, the 18th, and a wayward drive from Garcia at the second, the 17th, gave the Spaniard too much to do to as Singh claimed his second victory in four weeks having won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at the start of August. It was his fourth career victory in this event.
The win also sent the Fijian to the top of the FedEx Cup points standings, which he now leads from Garcia and Sutherland as the play-offs move on to TPC Boston and next Friday's Deutsche Bank Championship.
"It was pretty close all day," Singh said after his victory. "And nobody had a two-shot lead at any point. It was either seven under or eight under or six under.
"It wasn't easy to get close to the hole, so birdie was difficult to come by. It was drying out a lot and you've got to play conservative on some holes.
"It was a tough day, but it was a great play-off - I enjoyed that."
Singh, playing in the last group of the day alongside overnight leader Kevin Streelman, had a chance to win the tournament in regulation but missed a 17-foot putt to tie with Garcia and Sutherland.
Streelman, Paul Casey, Ben Curtis and Mike Weir had also had at least a share of the lead at one or more points on a tense last day.
Garcia, Casey, Weir and Singh had begun one stroke behind PGA Tour rookie Streelman at eight under par.
Two weeks after his bid for a maiden major victory at the USPGA Championship at Oakland Hills was thwarted over the final round by Padraig Harrington, the Spaniard birdied the third hole as Streelman bogeyed his opener to take the lead.
With 22 players starting the day within four shots of the lead, however, the tournament was wide open.
England's Casey joined Garcia in the lead with a birdie at the third, only to three-putt for the first time this week at the next hole and return to his starting point.
Then Weir birdied the fifth while Streelman did likewise at the sixth to create a three-way lead, only for Garcia to bogey the eighth.
The yo-yo nature of events then saw Garcia birdie the 10th, Streelman bogey eight and Weir drop a shot at the ninth to leave the Spaniard back in front with eight holes to play at eight under, one shot ahead of six players.
Sutherland started his run from five under and birdied his first two holes, before his only bogey of the round at the par-three 10th. He recouped the shot at the 13th and joined leader Garcia at eight under with a birdie at the 16th.
Garcia, though, bogeyed 16 to leave Sutherland as outright leader, only to fight back to eight under at the next hole.
Both parred the last, Sutherland closing with a 68, Garcia with a 70 and now it was a question of how many would join them in the play-off, Singh with a birdie at 17 to take co-leadership.
Streelman was not out of it either after a birdie at 17 to move to seven under with one to play.
Singh had his putt to win, Streelman a 16ft attempt to make the play-off if the Fijian failed.
Streelman went first despite being four inches closer and just missed left of the hole for a 72 and seven-under finish.
So to the play-off, and with Sutherland waiting to putt for par from 25 feet, Garcia and Singh readied themselves for long birdie attempts.
After a debate as to who was to putt first, Garcia stepped up to his 27-footer and coolly rolled it into the hole. That left Singh, a noticeably poor putter of late, with 26 feet to prevent defeat and he defied the odds to extend the play-off.
At the par-five 17th, the second extra hole, Garcia handed the advantage to Singh as he drove into the left rough under overhanging tree branches. His approach from there came to rest at the foot of a tree on the right with no way out but backwards or sideways.
Singh went next and was not happy with his second shot from the fairway his ball hopped off the ridge in front of the green and came to rest 20 feet from the hole.
In the meantime, Garcia was finding an alternative route from his problem. As Singh waited patiently on the green, the Spaniard was consulting a rules official about an animal hole affecting his stance. His enquiry proved successful as he earned a drop and a clear sight of the green but his shot came up short of the green.
He chipped onto the green and just past the hole with his fourth shot, leaving Singh with two putts for victory. The Fijian rolled it within inches to tap in for his second win this month.
Curtis, Streelman and Mathew Goggin of Australia tied for fourth place at seven under, while Scotland's Martin Laird, Americans Justin Leonard and Nicholas Thompson, Canada's Weir and Casey shared seventh - the Englishman ending with a flourish and a birdie at the last thanks to a 22-foot putt that gave him a one-over 72.
Singh added he was unfazed by Garcia's travails on the second extra hole.
"I wasn't really concerned about him," Singh said of his wait on the 17th green.
"I just wanted to know why he got a drop - there was obviously a mole there and he was burrowing at that moment, you could see him popping out!
"I was just playing, and I was really focused on what I was doing and he actually hit a great third shot.
"You know, it's hard. He's a good friend of mine. It's hard to see your friend not win, especially if he's playing against you. But somebody has to win."
Collated final round scores & totals in the USPGA Tour The Barclays, Ridgewood Country Club, Paramus, New Jersey, United States of America
(USA unless stated, par 71):
276 Vijay Singh (Fij) 70 70 66 70 (Vijay won at the second play-off hole), Sergio Garcia (Spa) 70 67 69 70, Kevin Sutherland 70 69 69 68
277 Mathew Goggin (Aus) 67 74 69 67, Ben Curtis 71 68 70 68, Kevin Streelman 67 70 68 72
278 Paul Casey (Eng) 66 71 69 72, Justin Leonard 70 70 71 67, Mike Weir (Can) 72 67 67 72, Martin Laird (Sco) 70 69 72 67, Nicholas Thompson 75 68 68 67
279 Dudley Hart 67 69 73 70, Anthony Kim 70 67 72 70, Jim Furyk 70 71 68 70, KJ Choi (Kor) 74 69 68 68, Ken Duke 72 71 67 69, Bubba Watson 68 70 71 70, Scott Verplank 73 70 67 69
280 Steve Stricker 68 64 77 71, Phil Mickelson 70 70 72 68, Jerry Kelly 72 70 71 67, Angel Cabrera (Arg) 69 67 72 72, Stuart Appleby (Aus) 71 70 68 71
281 Patrick Sheehan 69 70 70 72, Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 70 70 72 69, J.B. Holmes 71 71 73 66, Tim Herron 69 71 73 68, Glen Day 70 71 70 70, Jesper Parnevik (Swe) 68 72 72 69, Mark Wilson 72 70 71 68
282 Hunter Mahan 62 73 74 73, Kevin Na 72 70 68 72, George McNeill 68 70 73 71, Billy Mayfair 70 70 73 69, John Senden (Aus) 71 70 72 69, Jay Williamson 74 68 70 70, Jason Day (Aus) 74 68 66 74
283 Brian Davis (Eng) 69 74 70 70, Charley Hoffman 67 71 74 71, Jeff Overton 74 67 68 74, John Merrick 69 71 70 73, Eric Axley 78 65 68 72, Stewart Cink 73 70 70 70, Robert Allenby (Aus) 69 73 66 75, Brett Quigley 71 69 71 72, Tim Petrovic 71 72 69 71, Tim Clark (Rsa) 70 69 73 71
284 Kenny Perry 69 67 72 76, Dean Wilson 72 70 67 75, Justin Bolli 71 71 72 70, Lee Janzen 71 69 72 72, Briny Baird 69 71 69 75, John Mallinger 70 73 69 72, Carl Pettersson (Swe) 72 70 71 71
285 J J Henry 70 72 74 69, Bill Haas 71 68 71 75, Lucas Glover 70 70 75 70, Rich Beem 68 74 71 72, Andres Romero (Arg) 72 68 77 68, Jonathan Byrd 72 70 73 70, Steve Elkington (Aus) 71 71 71 72
286 Nick Watney 71 69 75 71, Ryan Palmer 69 69 72 76
287 Frank Lickliter II 71 71 71 74
288 Charlie Wi (Kor) 72 71 72 73, Chad Campbell 71 72 69 76, Michael Allen 73 67 75 73
289 Richard S Johnson (Swe) 74 69 74 72, Brandt Snedeker 71 71 73 74
290 Trevor Immelman (Rsa) 70 71 76 73
291 Bo Van Pelt 67 74 70 80
295 Paul Goydos 70 72 77 76
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